Originally Posted by
JohnBurke
Incredibly depressing doing what one loves, making a ridiculous sum of money for sitting on one's ass for hours on end, and working tightly controlled hours with built-in fatigue protections, based on circadian rhythm.
It's a wonder we don't all have PTSD. What could possibly be more stressful and anxiety-producing than flying from A to B? Oh, the hardship.
Thank god someone has finally blown the lid off this pressure-cooker. Perhaps we can all take a step back now and let that callous heal on the one, solitary finger that we use to press the buttons on the FMC, and engage the autopilot.
If it wasn't an issue then people wouldn't be popping up with issues, but there are. A portion of society will succumb to some sort of emotional or mental distress during the course of their lifetime. It has zero to do with how much money they make, how lazy they get to be, how much they love their job etc. All sorts of illnesses exist and always will, to include the brain and nervous system. Then there is addiction which is another animal entirely. Hopefully the stigma behind these issues will fade away sooner rather than later, especially with new generations replacing the old. This will result in pilots being more willing to admit to having issues and seeking help (AND REPORTING TO THE FAA) as required. This "you have an awesome job, make a ton of money for pushing buttons so what do you have to be depressed about" just keeps the stigma alive. Stop it already.