Is my dream of ever becoming a private pilot screwed?

Tom Oytgoit said:
Would there be any hope when I do decide to pursue 3rd class to get my PPL if I’m okay with spending a lot of $$$ on testing and consulatations? My “OCD” is nothing like most people with OCD. Feel like I got conned by my therapist.
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I am *not* an expert by any means, so I would recommend talking to an really good AME for advice before taking my word for it, but I think you would most likely be able to pass the tests required and prove you don't have actual OCD from what you've said so far, which should open up the 3rd class pathway. Especially if this "OCD thing" is your only obstacle. There's a couple of good AMEs on here that could help you make sure you could get through the medical certification process without too much trouble, before you even start the process. Bruce Chien is one, and there are some others, too, that I can't remember by name.

I think sometimes it's forgotten that every person is a little different, and the assumption is made that therapy and drugs are needed when it's really that your personality takes a while to make important decisions and that's definitely within the spectrum of a "normal" person!
 
Tom Oytgoit said:
Would trying to see a psychiatrist who could disprove the OCD help? Idk if it even works that way, but the therapist referred me to a psychiatrist so maybe I can talk to him. The prior time that I did talk to him, he told me I sound like I don’t have any mental health condition.
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You’ve already seen a psychiatrist a prior time? Not the therapist? What was that for and what diagnosis did he code you for? Or did you just have a social conversation?
 
DFH65 said:
Go Sport Pilot get an Aeronca Champ and have a blast.
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:yeahthat:

Light Sport allows 120 knots (138 mph) and that will actually do some fair cross county work. Newer LSA can carry 600 lbs or more and with a Rotax 912 (though I dislike the high RPM "two stroke sound" they make) you get a quite reliable engine with really economical fuel burn. I have no desire to fly at night or in clouds so my light sport certificate works well for me.

Still I agree with the above ... got my tail wheel endorsement in a Champ. Fun to fly airplane! :)
 
Rushie said:
You’ve already seen a psychiatrist a prior time? Not the therapist? What was that for and what diagnosis did he code you for? Or did you just have a social conversation?
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Yes I saw the psychiatrist a prior time because my therapist wanted to get a second opinion on me. This was back in January and the therapist referred me to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist said I didn’t have any mental health condition upon his interview. Still had to get a diagnosis because I was doing this via insurance (again I wish I knew this ahead of time, I would have just paid cash. But it was probably too late anyway since therapist needs a diagnosis to bill me).

There are some things that I “obsess” over, mainly health stuff, but I’ve taken a bunch of quizzes online for OCD and it always say “unlikely OCD”.
 
Tom Oytgoit said:
Yes I saw the psychiatrist a prior time because my therapist wanted to get a second opinion on me. This was back in January and the therapist referred me to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist said I didn’t have any mental health condition upon his interview. Still had to get a diagnosis because I was doing this via insurance (again I wish I knew this ahead of time, I would have just paid cash. But it was probably too late anyway since therapist needs a diagnosis to bill me).
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The psychiatrist can put down something like initial diagnostic evaluation and bill it to insurance (which might or might not pay). But if he put down a diagnosis that he didn't believe was accurate so that insurance would pay, that's insurance fraud. If he told you that you didn't have any disorder, I would not assume he told the insurance company something different. I suggest you call his office and ask (or take the referral, if he says there's nothing wrong with you it can only help, not hurt).
 
Tom Oytgoit said:
Yes I saw the psychiatrist a prior time because my therapist wanted to get a second opinion on me. This was back in January and the therapist referred me to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist said I didn’t have any mental health condition upon his interview. Still had to get a diagnosis because I was doing this via insurance (again I wish I knew this ahead of time, I would have just paid cash. But it was probably too late anyway since therapist needs a diagnosis to bill me).

There are some things that I “obsess” over, mainly health stuff, but I’ve taken a bunch of quizzes online for OCD and it always say “unlikely OCD”.
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I see. Like Lindberg says, just find out what they coded. I’d get copies of all their records and the therapist records and hire somebody like Bruce to look them over and tell you if you have a chance to overturn the diagnosis and if so what will you have to do? Then make a decision whether to go for it or do sport pilot. Whatever Bruce charges will be well worth it.
 
Also, consider this scenario:

At your annual checkup, your internist says, "When I listen to your heart, I hear something I don't like. I want you to see a specialist because I think it might be [cardiac problem]."

So you go to the cardiologist, and the cardiologist does all the tests for [cardiac problem], and determines you don't have it.

When you go for your next flight physical, you'd need to disclose all these visits, but you would not check the box for a diagnosis of [cardiac problem] because you don't have [cardiac problem]. Your AME will ask why you went to a cardiologist, and might want a letter saying he found nothing wrong, but that should be the end of it.

My point being, your therapist saying, "You might have OCD, I think you should see a shrink," is not the same as a diagnosis of OCD.

(If that's what happened.)
 
Tom Oytgoit said:
Would there be any hope when I do decide to pursue 3rd class to get my PPL if I’m okay with spending a lot of $$$ on testing and consulatations? My “OCD” is nothing like most people with OCD. Feel like I got conned by my therapist.
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Tom - Bruce Chien chimed in above. Hire him. Follow his advice to the letter. If anyone can get you through this minefield, it's Dr. Bruce.

www.aeromedicaldoc.com
 
I always remain hopeful; glass is always half full in my life... always. Get the medical records to see what is actually there then plan accordingly. I was slapped with ADHD, ASD, and tics and tourettes and my AME was able to get me by with just a neuropsychological evaluation with no psychiatric evaluation (which I was told would be required due to a bullsh*t ASD diagnosis and is very hard to disprove. Dr. Bruce Chien said he only had ~7 people with ASD approved and my AME echoed the same thing but here I am with a Class 1 medical now!)

On another note, I "obsess" over many things. Before buying my Audi, I learned the car inside in out. The prices, options, how the engine works (because God knows the Gen 2 EA888 is far from reliable), the PCV system, etc. I'm doing the same thing since I'm planning to sell my allroad for an A6. I'm now learning the 3.0T inside and out. With tools, computer parts, and car parts I put a minimum of an hour or two just to learning about a specific brand and reading real testimonials (usually from Reddit for general product testimonials or computer/car forums for car/computer related stuff) about how a specific brand's product held up. When buying something I spend at least 10 - 20 mins on the checkout screen while in another tab I'm scanning for coupons and discount codes.

Engineer, computer programmer (That's me), whatever related job field you have, it's all normal. I'm just a guy on the internet but as others have said I wouldn't be concerned about you. Certain professions attract certain types of personalities and it has attracted people like you, me, and others on the forum.
 
Rushie said:
You are not alone. Many of us, myself included, made the same or similar mistakes. Although I’m unsure if paying cash will save you if there is ever an incident. It would keep the FAA from finding out for certification but if you crash there will be deeper investigations and if it’s found you were evading detection because you actually have a disqualifying condition it can be bad for your estate. The best course is to go to a non-medical professional, or if you need better help, at first visit talk about certification issues and make clear you want care taken not to “upcode” you if your problem can be labeled something more benign like temporary adjustment, or as Bruce said marriage counseling which I assume includes any partnership or relationship.
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Well, crap. I called my insurance and my therapist put 2 diagnoses:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, unspecified

And

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type

I had 0 clue about ADHD. She has never mentioned it. I know for a fact I don’t have ADHD, I have never had trouble paying attention in school. This is so bs, therapy has probably ruined my dreams of getting a PPL.
 
Half Fast said:
I suspect you’ll find it sufficient anyway. Even many Private Pilots are flying LSAs. They’re capable airplanes that can be used for real cross-country travel. It’s not as bad a choice as you may think.
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Glad to hear that! I did a discovery flight already last summer and loved it. Just waiting until the weather gets nice in Seattle (so summer) to start.
 
Uh, how does CDO figure into this whole thing? It’s like OCD, but the letters are in the right order...

Asking for a friend...

Anon
 
Tom Oytgoit said:
Glad to hear that! I did a discovery flight already last summer and loved it. Just waiting until the weather gets nice in Seattle (so summer) to start.
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These are a couple of trips made with an Ercoupe. Many Ercoupes qualify as LSAs and can be flown by a Sport Pilot.


Flight from Apopka, FL up the east coast and on to Oshkosh:



Touring the Bahamas:



LSAs are real airplanes, not just weekend toys. Go into this with that attitude, open your eyes and your mind, and you’ll have the time of your life.
 
Half Fast said:
These are a couple of trips made with an Ercoupe. Many Ercoupes qualify as LSAs and can be flown by a Sport Pilot.


Flight from Apopka, FL up the east coast and on to Oshkosh:



Touring the Bahamas:



LSAs are real airplanes, not just weekend toys. Go into this with that attitude, open your eyes and your mind, and you’ll have the time of your life.
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Wow that is so awesome! Glad to hear that I will still be able to have a blast. Don’t have much interest for flying at night so SPL will do. Thank you for sharing your video! My flight school allows me to rent Cessna 162s
 
Flight training will pull your mind in many directions you won't have time to obsess, and if you do, spend it learning FARS and boring stuff, studying and taking practice tests, or every little aspect of the avionics. You can use it in your favor.
 
DFH65 said:
Go Sport Pilot get an Aeronca Champ and have a blast. Hopefully they will eventually expand the weight range on Light Sport to include at least a 172.

I know someone who has purely obsessive OCD. I can tell they don't obsess much about things like the perfect 401K allocation or the color of paint on your car. Their thoughts are far more scary for them. For example: They hit a pot hole and live in fear for weeks and have panic attacks because they are certain that the cops are going to come get them because they think may have hit a person. They think they are going to hurt someone they love because they had a passing thought of it. They question their sexuality because they had a passing thought of of it.

Not all people with OCD touch the door knob 20 times or are clean and neat.
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This. I have OCD with mostly hidden compulsions (pure O isn't actually a thing, because OCD by definition includes compulsions), and the car/401(k) research sounds a lot more like the hyper-fixation the OP's ADHD diagnosis would be responsible for. But the medical fear and constant research is concerning. That's definitely a sign of OCD.
 
Anonymous said:
This. I have OCD with mostly hidden compulsions (pure O isn't actually a thing, because OCD by definition includes compulsions), and the car/401(k) research sounds a lot more like the hyper-fixation the OP's ADHD diagnosis would be responsible for. But the medical fear and constant research is concerning. That's definitely a sign of OCD.
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Yeah I have no clue if that makes me unsafe to be a pilot. But I have never been in a car accident, I don’t look at my phone ever while driving, etc. Perfect insurance record. My “OCD” happens when I’m home and have access to my laptop. I don’t think I have any checking behaviors as mentioned in the other forum.

Also a bit confused. Are you the person who was issued the SI for 3rd class? Or the OP of the other OCD post? It’s confusing cause y’all are both anonymous haha
 
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Tom Oytgoit said:
Yeah I have no clue if that makes me unsafe to be a pilot.
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Well, if you're going to fly, you'll need to get a clue.

Every pilot is responsible for assessing his fitness to fly before every flight, and to ground himself when he isn't well enough to fly. You will need to know what makes you unsafe to be a pilot.
 
Half Fast said:
Well, if you're going to fly, you'll need to get a clue.

Every pilot is responsible for assessing his fitness to fly before every flight, and to ground himself when he isn't well enough to fly. You will need to know what makes you unsafe to be a pilot.
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I meant in the eyes of the FAA for when I do eventually want to pursue a 3rd class. I am not concerned about my safety. I know I would do fine
 
I have no idea if OCD is a bad thing for a pilot. I'm not a doctor. I'm not even sure what OCD is.

But I'm pretty sure that if you have the OPPOSITE of OCD, then you absolutely shouldn't be flying.

Sorry, thought this could use a little levity. And half not kidding. I'd rather have someone obsess about checking the fuel than the pilot that thinks to himself "eh, it's probably fine", because I know people like that, and I know how the story eventually ends.
 
Lots of jokes here, but the OC DISORDER definition requires the obsession/compulsion to consume substantial time or that it interferes with social, occupational, or other important areas.

Going back twice to check to see if I locked the doors or checking the landing gear six times on approach doesn't fit the bill.
 
flyingron said:
Lots of jokes here, but the OC DISORDER definition requires the obsession/compulsion to consume substantial time or that it interferes with social, occupational, or other important areas.

Going back twice to check to see if I locked the doors or checking the landing gear six times on approach doesn't fit the bill.
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Sorry, I take exception to that last. Checking the landing gear six times on approach is a safety of flight issue when it distracts you from the rest of the checklist, or, God forbid, your altitude/airspeed. The psychiatrist was especially concerned with this kind of thing during my evaluation.

(There's distraction, a la Eastern 401, and then there's obsessing. One is human factors that everyone is prone to, and one is a mental illness)
 
Albany Tom said:
I have no idea if OCD is a bad thing for a pilot. I'm not a doctor. I'm not even sure what OCD is.

But I'm pretty sure that if you have the OPPOSITE of OCD, then you absolutely shouldn't be flying.

Sorry, thought this could use a little levity. And half not kidding. I'd rather have someone obsess about checking the fuel than the pilot that thinks to himself "eh, it's probably fine", because I know people like that, and I know how the story eventually ends.
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Funny thing, the gold standard treatment for OCD is to check once, then say "eh, it's probably fine" when you find yourself obsessing later. I never had aviation-related obsessions, but for a person with OCD, giving into those compulsions only fuels the disease. No way am I hopping out just after starting the engine "just to make sure."
 
Alright well honestly I already have a plan, so feel free to end the thread.

Decided I’m going to go for a sport license and also try to do a consultation and see what my chances are. If chances aren’t great then I will stay sport. If they look good then I’ll try for 3rd class.

Appreciate the advice!
 
Good move. If you get the Sport ticket, all your training can be counted toward Private if you later decide to pursue it.
 
Good luck! I did sport pilot first, and loved every minute of it.
 
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