Originally Posted by AYLflyer

This is my point though. It shouldn't have come to that. This guy aside, I feel like a normal functioning person wouldn't do this. A normal functioning person who has mental health issues (And I'm not talking crazy seriously mentally ill person, I'm talking going through a rough patch) can call up a doctor and get help/treatment. Pro pilots don't do that. They bury their emotions deep down, and then drink them away until something either gives and they get caught (maybe like this guy and we all make fun of him), or he goes years and years living with an issue that could potentially be easily solved by a visit with a therapist, but for fear of losing their career, they don't.

Years ago I flew with a guy who was on "the list", who turned out to be a nice guy, but he definitely had emotional issues. When we flew he was finalizing a divorce, and some of the stuff he was talking about was just straight up sad. Losing his home, not seeing his kids, losing things he worked hard for. We get to the hotel, asks if I'd like to meet him for a drink, and when I got to the bar he was already a few whiskeys deep and spilling his guts about his ex again. The dude needed help, but once again, the "toughen up" crowd and the FAA puts the fear into you to not say anything.