depression, part two

We cannot turn back time and undo what has happened, but we can very well make sure that never again a person with mental disorders will be able to get on board of a plane, to pilot it, on top of that! We now know the possible outcome, maybe this tragedy will help to prevent such shocking events for the future. Depression is treacherous, one day on top of the world, the next day in the depths of despair is a good description of what those people may feel- but many of those who suffer from this disorder are smart enough to keep their emotional state in rein. Too much is at risk: job, friends...You have to be very close to somebody to be able to discern the changing nuances in behaviour of depressive people, because they do not want us to find out about their problem. They know that something is wrong within them, and they even may consult a specialist, to get rid of the symptoms. Problem is: depression does never vanish overnight. It takes a long time to get the right dose of the right medication, and the outcome is uncertain. You might win or loose, in the worst case your life, by your own hands. I have seen two of my friends die of free will, both of them had children, and thank heavens they did not take those to their death, too, as depressive mothers and fathers often do. This sickness does this to you, it leads to believe that death is the only escape for you and your children. I have been in contact with my friends, have met up with them a few days before they committed suicide. I caught nothing, absolutely nothing, but I am no physician, to be able to read the signs. So what I do not understand is why a physician, who knows about the profession of a patient the moment the insurance card is read by the computer (and believe me, you won´t be accepted for treatment without one in Germany), is not forced to inform the employer about the patient´s mental sickness the moment he/she is given a sick note. It´s bad enough when people kill themselves, but to let a walking time bomb into a cockpit, to eventually navigate a plane, because medical secrecy overrides the duty to inform, to prevent harm, is ridiculous. And I am pretty sure that it will not be that much of a problem for someone who contemplates suicide to get rid of a second person in a cockpit, so this simply won´t do!