AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - October 2018 - 30

FLY WELL

Close to home

BY DR. JONATHAN M. SACKIER

Suicide touches many lives
REMEMBER YOUR FIRST SOLO? Immense joy.
Anticipating your second? Sheer excitement, hoping it would come sooner. At the other end of the
emotional spectrum is despair, loss, and isolation.
In society, and aviation particularly, mental
health issues are an uncomfortable topic, like leprosy in biblical times, or HIV/AIDS in the 1980s.
People with heart disease or cancer aren't chastised,
so why characterize mental illnesses as something
other than what they are-diseases?
Robin Williams, Kate Spade, and Anthony
Bourdain, despite all their fame and fortune, chose
to end their lives. And now Elliot. You did not know

I never thought it would touch my life, but it
did. It is imperative that we all know the signs.
Listen, be supportive, protect and help guide
the individual to professional help.

DR. JONATHAN
SACKIER is an expert

in aviation medical
concerns and helps
members with their
needs through the
AOPA Pilot Protection Services plan
(www.aopa.org/
pps).

30 | AOPA PILOT October 2018

him, but I did. He was the eldest son of my dearest
and oldest friends. When my friends gave me the
shocking news recently, I felt an enormous vacuum
suck the air from me. Elliot, just one month shy of his
twenty-sixth birthday. Elliot, who just weeks before
had joined my son and me to watch a soccer match
in England; laughed over dinner; discussed his plans,
hopes and dreams. Elliot: gentle manner, kind heart,
and wide smile. And now he was gone. Unfathomable.
Except it isn't.
But this is not just about pilots, or mental health
as it affects us-it is about our families, our friends.
The recent crashes of a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400
and a Cessna Citation in apparent suicides drive
home that even the aviation community is not
immune. I never thought it would touch my life,
but it did, and preventing others from being devastated like Elliot's family and friends is the mission.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, suicide is the tenth leading cause
of death in America, second among those aged 10
to 34. For perspective, it robs us of 122 people a day.
Between 1999 and 2016, suicide rates rose by 30 percent. Males are four times more likely to take their

lives than females, and rates climb with advancing
age, peaking among those over age 65.
Ideation, thinking about suicide, is common-
mostly among young adults, of whom nearly 1 in
50 will make a serious attempt. It does not respect
class, race, or religion, despite all major faiths stigmatizing suicide. Factors prompting taking one's
own life include depression or history of other
mental illness; overwhelming situations such as
financial catastrophe or death of a loved one, especially if by suicide; divorce; or sexual abuse.
Help is available: the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline (800-273-TALK), counselors-
and, of course, family and friends. Unfortunately,
once one has embarked on this desperate emotional
journey, seeking help is less likely. It is, therefore,
imperative that we all know the signs. Although in
many cases there are no signs, any change in mood,
personality, alcohol or drug use, buying a gun or
potentially dangerous medications, or expressing
feelings of worthlessness or difficulty coping should
inspire one to initiate a conversation.
Discussing suicide does not make it more likely.
Listen; be supportive; protect and help guide the
individual to professional help. Stay connected
after initial crises pass, as this limits recurrence.
Medical treatment of root causes is available; being
surrounded by caring people is a huge help.
Recreational drugs are one reason for rising rates;
MDMA (ecstasy) has been associated with "Suicide
Tuesday"-after a weekend of partying, post-withdrawal lows induce anxiety and depression which,
in young people lacking impulse control, can lead to
suicide. This drug increases suicide risk dramatically
compared to people who use no drugs. Talk to your
children about drugs, as often as necessary.
Additionally, about 200 prescription drugs can
cause depression, so if you are on medication and
don't feel right, talk to your doctor.
Four doctors are standing together when one says,
"Mental health problems affect one in four people. I
know I am fine, so it must be one of you." But the real
joke, the sick joke, is that mental illness is agnostic and
invisible. So, be the leader you are as a pilot and shine
some light on-and help prevent-this tragedy. AOPA
EMAIL DrJonathanSackier@gmail.com

http://www.aopa.org/pps

AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - October 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - October 2018