Flight #13 - Addressing Substance Abuse in Aviation

In this edition, we will take flight into a topic that holds paramount importance in aviation: addressing substance abuse. This topic may be uncomfortable, but it's essential to discuss it openly and candidly because the safety of passengers, crew, and the success of flights depend on the sobriety of aviation professionals.Substance abuse in aviation was definitely a topic I planned to talk about on The Flight Shrink at some point, but after my attendance at the HIMS Basic Education Seminar last weekend I wanted to get this out there now.HIMS is an acronym and stands for Human Intervention Motivational Study.  Before last weekend I thought this was an FAA program, but really it is an industry-wide effort where the airlines, pilots, healthcare professionals, and the FAA work together to preserve pilot careers and enhance air safety.To read the full transcript go to The Flight Shrink substack at https://flightshrink.substack.comDISCLAIMER:The views expressed in The Flight Shrink are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, The United States Air Force, or any other organization with which Dr. Heacock is associated.  The content of The Flight Shrink is not medical advice.  The Flight Shrink is for informational purposes only and may not be applicable to all situations.  Use of the information is at the reader’s own risk.  Any recommendations of treatments, products, or services are made in general and may not apply to a specific person, situation, or illness.  Please seek care from a medical professional if you have concerns for any physical or mental health symptoms.If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health, suicide, or substance use crisis or emotional distress, reach out 24/7 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor. You can also get crisis text support via the Crisis Text Line by texting NAMI to 741741.  For those in countries other than the U.S. here is a Google site with helplines:https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/11181469 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flightshrink.substack.com