Executive rehab for pilots

Executive rehabs differ from regular rehabs in their method of administering treatment and the facilities they possess. It is a program that gives patients the freedom to go on with their daily activities even as they steadily receive treatment.

The program is often for professionals who cannot risk the chances of going into a full-stacked program for 3 months, less, or more.

Staying up and alert between long flights and high stress is very tasking for pilots. Sometimes, pilots have to take another flight immediately after landing. At some point, it gets too much to handle.

Pilots then abuse drugs to cope amidst their long hours of work and unending stress-filled days. They often take drugs like cocaine, marijuana, morphine, and some form of amphetamine to stay agile and alert for longer hours. Consistently abusing those drugs will result in addiction in no time.

The job of the pilot is a professional one that requires professional attention. An addicted pilot is in a lot of danger if addiction persists for too long. Rehabilitation for pilots is a little different from regular rehabilitation.

Considering the extent of professionalism that comes with being a pilot, opting for regular rehabs will result in several questions and job loss risks.

As a pilot, you don’t want the whole world knowing the issues you have been putting up with. Executive rehabs will provide pilots with the privacy and professionalism they need to keep working as they recover from their addiction.

Benefits of executive rehabs for Pilots

Asides from shielding their dealing from the rest of the world and allowing them to catch up with work, executive rehabilitation has a bunch of other benefits.

Private rooms, private therapy sessions, personal counselor, regular upkeep, and travel support are just a few. Pilots will also get access to indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, top-notch spas, and exercise facilities.

Executive rehab feels like cruise and treatment as you keep working. Treatments there are more individualized to provoke fast and painless recovery.

Reasons why Pilots need counseling

Pilots are humans who experience a great level of stress unlike the rest of us. Anytime they are in the air, they try to maintain a clear head because the lives of everyone rests in their hands. No matter how experienced a Pilot is, they are naturally anxious till the plane lands safely.

It is important the pilot is of sound mind all the time and this is why they need counseling. There are two common mental health conditions that affect Pilots: Anxiety disorders and Mood disorders.

Everyone experiences anxiety. We can unnecessarily worry about various things like work, personal health, finances, the family etc. There are several types of anxiety disorders like Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

For mood disorders, it is a range of conditions where the individual’s mood is the primary underlying factor.

There are many types of mood disorders like Bipolar disorder and depression. It is possible for the pilot to experience either anxiety disorders or mood disorders because of the peculiarity of their job.

However, with the help of the counselor, they will be able to pull through and do fine. Pilots need counseling because having any of these disorders is the last thing they need because they would be flying planes almost every time.

Pilots experience problems in various aspects of their lives and brooding over them while flying a plane is disadvantageous. This is why they need counseling to help them address their problems in a safe way.

Some Pilots might try to cut corners by taking anti-anxiety medication or anti-depressants, but it is not encouraged. It is better to take the long haul by going for counseling than to take drugs and put the lives of people at risk.  

It is important for all airlines to ensure the mental health of their pilots and staff are in a good condition. This would be helpful in curtailing any impending disaster.

Health tips for Pilots

One of the categories of professionals who faced stress-filled lives coupled with the hazards that comes with their job, are pilots.

A pilot’s job is no easy one and it is not for the faint-hearted. Before someone is certified to be a pilot, they must have undergone years of training before they are allowed to fly.

Whenever a pilot is flying a plane, the lives of hundreds of individuals are in his hands. Hence, he must be in the perfect state of mind to ensure everyone gets to their destination in one piece. If anything goes wrong with the pilot on the plane, all lives could be lost.

For a pilot to remain in one piece, it is important they give good consideration to their health. Here are some health tips for pilots to observe:

Take lots of water

The aircraft’s cabin air contains very low humidity. The air that enters the cabin is pumped by the air system, and this same air at that height is very high. Hence, your skin can get very dry and you will be thirsty quite often.

Coupled with the fact that you are concentrating on steering the plane, you need to take enough water to remain hydrated. The last thing you want to experience is getting dehydrated on the plane.

Take light and nutritious meals

Before a flight, it is best not to eat heavily to avoid experiencing discomfort. You need to eat a light meal that conforms to your body clock. Anything asides that would not be good for you as you might have to visit the restroom more often than usual.

Also, it is advisable to have fruits you can munch on from time to time.

Exercise

As a pilot, you will be on seat for several hours which is disadvantageous to your health. To counter this, you need to undergo physical exercise based on your schedule. You can dedicate 30 minutes per day for three days per week for physical activity.

Sleep properly

You don’t get to fly a plane everyday so it is advised to sleep properly when you are on break. This would help to de-stress and keep your body in one shape.  

THE STRESS-FILLED LIFE OF A PILOT

Pilots are people we trust with our lives whenever we want to embark on a trip, and we barely stop to think for a minute on how they try to regulate their lifestyles, particularly handling stress.

A pilot could have a couple of flights per week, and he is expected to always have a clean bill of health. These individuals spend a good number of time in the air, and it takes a lot of courage to do so.

During the process of traveling, if anything happens in the air, the lives of the passengers are at the mercy of the Pilot. Because to some extent, it is up to him or her to control how the flight would turn out to be.

Pilots need time to rest just like any other professional, and this is quintessential to how well their careers would thrive in the long run.

All through the period of their career, they have been faced with stress, and they have barely had time to rest because there are all sorts of training that they need to undergo in order to become perfect.

During this period of training, pilots are advised to refrain from all sorts of substances which can impair their cognitive function and sense of reasoning. For instance, it is advised that pilots do not take substances like alcohol and drugs, because it can affect them adversely.

Hence, it would be quite difficult for a pilot to indulge in substance abuse because they would be checked before a flight kicks off. So, it is important for them to be in a perfect state of mind before embarking on a trip.

For a pilot to get rid of stress, there is an important need for effective rest. It would be beneficial if the pilot goes on a vacation for a period of time. Once he or she integrates this into his or her schedule, stress would not be a regular lifestyle for the pilot. 

PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO THE ADDICTED PILOT

As a pilot, it is expected that you understand the need to beat deadlines. Remaining at alert and being focused, is an important aspect of your job, and your safety needs to be the first thing on your mind. However, when your thought pattern and mental health has been affected by the use of drugs and alcohol, you are endangering the lives of many people.

Even though you do not take either drugs or alcohol at work, the symptoms which are associated with withdrawals, has the capacity to affect your piloting skills. Pilots cannot be entirely blamed for being addicted, because their job is one which demands lengthy hours, and induces stress as well. This is one of the major reasons why a good number of them rely on substances so that they can cope.

Being a pilot comes with a huge responsibility. It is one of the most noble professions in the world, and there is a needed level of top excellence which is expected from them. From time to time, they are responsible for the lives of many people, as they pilot through the skies.

People do not know that the lifestyle of a pilot is very hectic. The stress which a pilot goes through on a daily basis, is more than what the average person can take.

Typically, there are some signs which would tell you that a pilot is addicted to either drugs or alcohol. They are usually quite focused when it comes to the early stages of addiction. In the beginning as well, you would discover that they would be working for long hours than usual, this is due to the effect which the substance has on them at the beginning.

In addition to this, you would also discover that they would be quite distant from family and friends, because it would be difficult for them to have good interactions and communicate effectively with them.

Pilots need a special treatment rehab for their addiction, and it is advised that those who are addicted or people who have addicted family members or friends who are pilots, should endeavour to seek help before it ruins their career.