I bet the German Co-pilot was on Anti-Depressants

Seems the OP May be right...sorta

Germanwings co-pilot suffered from depression: reports
abc.net.au...

Just read this on msn news.

Searches of his homes had netted "medical documents that suggest an existing illness and appropriate medical treatment", including "torn-up and current sick leave notices, among them one covering the day of the crash", they said.

a reply to: Mianeye

Here's the thing - Anti-depressants can cause reactions in people that trigger more problems than they solve. I know. I was one of those people, and there is note in my medical files that I should not be given a certain class of those drugs. However, I am not stupid enough to think they do this to everyone. For a lot of people, these drugs are very helpful.

Basically, what's going on is that you are playing with the brain chemistry that alters moods, and everybody is an individual. For some people, the brain chemistry simply works differently and altering it medically will produce unexpected results. It's tragic, but it happens. And sometimes, people aren't either aware it could happen or aware that it is happening to them.

a reply to: WineAndCheese9

I have seen them do wonders.
The thing is everyone is different and one may work for one and not another it takesbtime to get the right drug and dosage correct.
Oh and whoever said take st johns wort should do some reading up on it.
It causes cancer.
So don't trust ats doctors who know sod all.

a reply to: WineAndCheese9

Is it normal practice to allow a person with a long history of mental illness to become an commercial airline pilot?

Bloody disgraceful mistake if so.

I think there may have been someone or some people on board that flight who 'needed' to be gotten rid of.

I'd imagine a scenario like: We know where you live, where your kids go to school and so on...we're watching you, we're listening to you and every move you make is monitored, you cannot run anywhere...if you don't do as we tell you (crash the aircraft), your family and everyone who's ever known you will suffer and die horribly...

Don't know that's what happened of course, but it's a possibility.

What would you do...NOT what you'd like to think you'd do, but what you would actually do if you were in that kind of situation?

Would you kill yourself and all those passengers to save your family and friends, or would you refuse to comply?

a reply to: boymonkey74

There is certainly and obvious requirement for antidepressants to be made available regarding people who suffer from the illness. Doctors these days however seem only to eager to prescribe them with little or no regard towards the underlying problems the lead to and are associated with depression or other mental disorders.

Addressing the symptoms of a problem is one thing but they seldom resolve themselves without taking into account the underlying reasons for the problem aka the curve balls that life throws at us.

One has to wonder how society coped before all the anti depressant drugs were available to our masses? Possibly people simply were not as depressed in days gone by, or simply did not have the time to be depressed.

I don't know about Europe but in the US it is rare for pilots to be on antidepressants. The FAA only approves the use if antidepressants on a case by case basis. Even then it's rare for them to approve their use and SSRIs, the class commonly associated with suicidal thoughts, aren't approved at all. On top of that when a pilot goes on a new med they can't fly for a certain period of time (a month I believe) to make sure the drug doesn't affect them in a way that also affects their flying. So based on that I'd say it's pretty unlikely he was on an antidepressant.

a reply to: WineAndCheese9

Very good question that never really gets covered in detail especially when a shooting occurs.

Anytime a shooting occurs the argument becomes about gun control and not about the mental state of the individual .

On antidepressants or no......early reports are just coming out that he was a radicalized Muslim. We will see how that pans out. As Spock would say "that would explain a great many things".

originally posted by: Logarock
On antidepressants or no......early reports are just coming out that he was a radicalized Muslim. We will see how that pans out. As Spock would say "that would explain a great many things".

aint seen any news like that, only depression during training and that he went back finished it off and passed all the tests.

a reply to: Logarock

Do you have a source as to the person in question apparently being a radicalized Muslim?

It would certainly explain such a turn of events given the present geopolitical climate but it seem rather to close to the politically correct mark for my liking.

Apparent the copilot had a note from his doctor, dated the day of the fight that deemed him unfit to fly.

Passengers will blame Lufthansa but I hope, if he is on SSRIs, Lufthansa turns around and points a finger at Big Pharma.

As of right now, CNN is correcting earlier reports of mental illness and blaming it on Reuters' translation of reports. Apparently still only "medical illness" designation as of now.

a reply to: kosmicjack

How is big pharma to blame?

At best his doctor may be to blame, but blaming big pharma for him doing what he did is like blaming a gun manufacturer for a mass shooting..

a reply to: Chadwickus

Well in the US we have the HIPA at that prevents doctors from disclosing medical information to ANYONE.

I am assuming most notable countries have a similar privacy act?

Its clearly the pilots fault. Weather he had a physical or mental illness, he didn't report it to his employer.

originally posted by: Logarock
On antidepressants or no......early reports are just coming out that he was a radicalized Muslim. We will see how that pans out. As Spock would say "that would explain a great many things".

Not sure about that, haven't heard that one, but if true, surely he could have made a much more impactful (NO pun intended) statement if he had flown it into a major Governmental building or financial district...the deaths of the passengers is bad enough of course, but if he'd done it in a populated area, it would have taken out 1000's.

Not sure i buy the terrorist thing...radicals tend to want to create as much carnage as possible, and this tragic as it is for those involved, was not maximum carnage at all.

a reply to: Chadwickus

Um....have you read up on the unintended consequences for these drugs? Have you seen the many comments and personal accounts on ATS - in this thread even - about how anti-depressants have negatively impacted people?


ssristories.org...

Anyways, mental illness still not confirmed.

And, of course, the ultimate responsibility lies with the co-pilot but, if he was on them, these drugs most certainly played a part.

a reply to: MysterX

Yea its early yet.

a reply to: kosmicjack

What about the consequences of not taking them at all and suffering from being mentally unwell for longer?.
I know many people who would have done themselves in if not for anti depressants.
Like I said ut is tricky for doctors to find the right ones for each individual but I sure would take them if needed.

a reply to: boymonkey74

with depression one can't work because the world has closed in. With anti depressants one can get better, get off them and work. People forget depression is caused by a chemical problem within the body. We now know how that works and how to deal with it. Its when people don't respect their medication and medical advice that problems occur. But people can't help the way their bodies function or don't as the case may be, but knowing and understanding whats happening makes dealing with the illogical side of depression so much easier.