Dear readers,
I am having a serious mental dilemma concerning a possible career in aviation. Hopefully there is someone out there who may be able to answer this question ( sorry about the length of this entry but the background info in necessary ). The situation is as follows. I am about to take my first class medical to see if I am physically fit for flight (mainly want to make sure my eyes are up to par) and under medical history there is a question which pertains to substance dependency. I do not by any means have a substance abuse or dependence problem, nor have I ever based on FAA standards. However, during my youth (13-18 years of age) I became quite the problem child. It was more or less the standard run of the mill disobedience with the less standard drug experimentation. When I was 18 my parents and I decided to put me into a drug clinic for some behavior modification and ever since then I have cut out the nonsense and have become successful in my own right. I am nearly done with my B.S. degree in computer science and I also currently hold certifications in emergency medicine and I am working my way through college as an EMT. I feel as if I should tell the doc about the drug clinic because I do not want to be accused of lying on a federal document. However, I also do no want to be penalized for some youthful aberration and become disqualified from an entire industry and be labeled as some recovering junkie. I was never diagnosed as an individual with substance dependency by any medical professional. It was a proactive decision to send me to a clinic that my parents and I made to nip any possible problems in the bud and get me out into the world on a good path. Furthermore, some pilot job applications ask if you have ever had any medical treatment for drugs. Being honest, I would have to answer yes. Would answering yes to such a question have my application instantaneously thrown into the shredder? Should I continue on with the goal and begin flight training? Or is the industry so unforgiving that it would be a waste of time and money. Additionally, I have no criminal record, no DUI's, no drug charges or arrests, no nothing. I have no medical problems whatsoever be it physical or psyc. Any input would be appreciated and I am sorry for the lengthy nature of this entry. Thank you!