I’ve looked at all the documentation on this issue, and even some past posts that cover similar issues, but I wanted to find out a little more about the process and how it might be affected by my circumstances:

A few years back, I go to a walk in clinic saying that I’m stressed out and having trouble getting good sleep. The doctor says I might be anxious and prescribed sertraline (an SSRI), I took it for a week or so, hated the way it made me feel, stopped taking it. Didn’t even finish the first 30 day supply. I never saw a psychiatrist, I was never given a mental illness diagnosis, and the doctor wasn’t my GP (I don’t even have a GP). Pretty sure the stress was all environmental, and I get pretty good sleep these days, without any medication.

How will this affect a medical for ATC? Will I only be asked if I’ve been diagnosed and currently taking, or will I be asked if I’ve ever taken SSRIs? If yes, how much does a week of taking them without even having a diagnosis affect the process? Do I have to have extra exams? I’m in BC, and that prescription appears on my BC Health Services page when I log in. Would the CAME be able to see that?

I appreciate any info, thanks!

I hate responding to medical questions because I want to help but no one here is qualified to answer such questions.

That being said I know several people in ATC that have been on anti-depressants and the ones who were able to return to work were diagnosed with temporary depression (ie, from a divorce or traumatic situation etc) and only needed the medication for a short time.

Those who were diagnosed with depression and prescribed medication long term were not able to return to work.

So I’ll let you decipher how this would affect you. When you weren’t able to sleep was there a reason? Are you sleeping fine today? These are all rhetorical questions so please don’t answer them as it’s no one’s business but your own but the worst thing I think you have ahead of you is you might need to prove that you’re okay without the medication which shouldn’t be a big deal.

Be honest with the CAME, they are here to help you GET a medical and find solutions if there are any barriers.

This is the CAME handbook.

It has some info about SSRIs, maybe that will help answer your question.
https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/public ... s-tp-13312

The form asks for any treatment, so if you fill out the form truthfully, you'd have to disclose it to the examiner. Might be worth it to contact one and get the info directly from them.

From the pilot side of things, being on SSRIs or having taken SSRIs is not the end of your career by any means as long as you are stable after stopping the dose or while on the dose. For pilots (different than ATC), being on SSRIs generally requires a multi-crew restriction on your medical.

However, TC does indeed start getting sensitive about having a history of depression/anxiety and or SSRI use. I cannot recall the exact questions on the medical form. Read them very very carefully. I don't recall that they ask for all the medications you've ever taken. However, if they ask if you've ever been "diagnosed OR treated for" any of the following conditions, be accurate in your response. If it does arise that you need to disclose the situation, do expect the need for follow up with either a doctor's note from your GP or a letter from a psychiatrist.