Have you suffered from anxiety or low mood that lasted for weeks or a few months during a time of unusual stress? If so, you may have experienced adjustment disorder.

Adjustment disorder is extremely common. It is also very treatable, and by definition, the symptoms get better once the stressor has resolved. It is one of the most common reasons for aviators to seek mental health clearance by the FAA.

Pilots with adjustment disorder can be approved for all classes of medical certification. This is true even if you have been treated with medications, counseling or both.

At Aero Psychiatry, we often meet pilots who experienced a case of adjustment disorder at a time of stress, and who recovered once the stressful issue resolved.

Another thing we frequently encounter is where the pilot actually had adjustment disorder, but they were mistakenly diagnosed with chronic depression or chronic anxiety by a previous mental health provider.

While depression and anxiety are both treatable and certifiable for all FAA medical classes, the FAA’s expectations are different for depression and anxiety than they are for adjustment disorder.

Therefore, if you were diagnosed with something other than adjustment disorder, but you believe adjustment disorder best reflects the symptoms you experienced, it will be very important for you to have a careful evaluation by a psychiatrist who is knowledgeable about FAA categories and rules, and who will take the time to provide you with a careful, accurate assessment.