Substance Abuse Referral

Are you a victim of
Substance Abuse?

We are here when you need us, we understand what you're going through. We will ensure that you get the best support through your peers.

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What is Substance Abuse?

Abuse of alcohol and drugs among pilots can lead to addiction and drug dependency

Substance abuse due to long hours on the job, high stress, and back to back long flights in some cases and when untreated,  can turn into an addiction that is deadly for everyone involved.
Aircraft pilots are forced to consistently cope with high stress levels because of heavy flight agendas, safety concerns and their responsibility for passenger’s lives every single day at work. This stress can result in physical and mental problems, as well as a reliance upon alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism. This substance abuse, consequently, can rapidly descend into dependency and addiction if left unchecked. For aircraft pilots dealing with alcohol or substance abuse, early treatment is important.

Intensive Outpatient

Pilots who undergo intensive outpatient treatment continue to live at home while participating in a highly structured treatment protocol that is focused on ending substance abuse.

Dual Diagnosis

Dual-diagnosis or co-occurring disorders describes a person who is not only addicted to drugs or alcohol, but also has a mental or emotional illness, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, requiring Psychiatric treatment in addition to drug and alcohol rehabilitation services.

CBT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps pilots to understand the thoughts and emotions that underlie their addiction with the goal of learning new, healthier and more productive ways to understand and express themselves.

Group Therapy

Group therapy is a vital component of addiction recovery treatment, considered as important and effective than individual therapy. Benefits include reducing isolation and loneliness and providing the opportunity to learn from others in recovery. 

Substance Abuse Help

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How we can help

Pilot Peer Support for you!

A pilot's lifestyle is not relaxed by any means, it is hectic, pressured, serious and taxing. The incredible amount of responsibility on pilots' shoulders can often lead to alcohol addiction and substance abuse problems. Our qualified Pilot Peer Support professionals can help deal with your challenges through 
  • Coaching
  • Counseling 
  • Referrals
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Managing Substance Abuse

Steps to help Alleviate Substance Abuse
  • Detoxification

    Drug detoxification, is the first step in a comprehensive rehabilitation program that offers all the tools required for recovery. Detox can prevent unpleasant or fatal consequences resulting from sudden cessation of use and can aid the patient in becoming abstinent from drugs.

  • Rehabilation

    Choosing drug abuse rehabilitation is a another solid step towards helping you overcome an addiction and lead a new, healthy life.

  • Distract Yourself

    Psychologists know that concentrating on two things at the same time is very hard. Therefore, if your mind is flooded with distressing thoughts, change course. Find something else to think about. You can eliminate a negative image by replacing it with another. It can pull you out of your ruminations, worries, and upsets until you come up with a longer-term strategy.



  • Counselling

    Sometimes it helps to talk to a counsellor. Some counsellors specialise in drug and alcohol treatment, but all of them should be able to help. A good counsellor can help you to work out how best to manage your drug intake. Counselling can either be done in a group or individually. They’ll work with you to figure out which type is best for you.

  • Peer Support

    The daily issues of recovery can be worked out more effectively among peers who have shared similar life experiences and who can offer appropriate levels of emotional support to sustain sobriety.

Get the support you need

 If you think you need help, or just want to talk to a peer, we are here to help you. We understand the high pressure and stress involved with this career, and our peer advisers are available by appointment. 
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

Related Information

Why do Pilots Drink, and How Big of a Problem is it?

By Sunny Matharu • 06 Nov, 2018
Turnaround times are shorter, and the strain of repeated compression and decompression on the body mounts very quickly if the body isn’t allowed time to rest. So when that shift ends, what’s the first thing a pilot is going to do? They’re going to go find something that helps them relax after a long, stressful day of hopping from airport to airport, flying hundreds of passengers in the process. And very often, that something is alcohol, even though they may very well sleep better sober.

Pilots: Addiction & Mental Health Issues

By Sunny Matharu • 06 Nov, 2018
Pilots must complete many years of intensive training, be able to learn a plethora of technical knowledge, and keep hundreds of people safe almost every day.

Substance Abuse Referral

By Sunny Matharu • 06 Nov, 2018
A pilot’s lifestyle is not relaxed or easygoing by any means. In fact, it is exactly the opposite: hectic, pressured, serious and taxing. Pilots lead lives that the average person could not keep up with.
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