Airline Pilots On Antidepressant Psychiatric Drugs, FAA Approves, Peter McCarthy
Airline Pilots On Antidepressant Psychiatric Drugs, FAA Approves, Peter McCarthy The FAA recently removed a ban which now allows airline pilots to fly when they are taking certain types of antidepressant medications. Antidepressant drugs have a host of unwanted side effects associated with them that could potentially affect a pilots ability to control a plane. Additionally, do you really want to be on a plane with a pilot who has been diagnosed with a mental disorder such as depression and bipolar disorder? It is also known that 2 out of 3 people taking antidepressant medications still experience symptoms of depression even when taking the drugs. Peter is theChief Executive Officer and Wellness Director of Life Energy Holistic Partners, Inc. and holds the degree of Doctor of Naturopathy from Trinity College of Natural Health. He is a Nationally Board Certified Traditional Naturopath and is a member of the Advisory Committee of the American Naturopathic Certification Board. Visit Peter McCarthy's website www.airlinecrewwellness.com This video was produced by Psychetruth http www.youtube.com psychetruth.blogspot.com © Copyright 2010 Target Public Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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December 11th, 2011 - 19:46
This is an interesting argument. I think the rule was that a pilot or required crewmember was required to not take such drugs for 90 days to keep their medical certification. I think this whole thing is response to the fact that the medical certification process is essentially an honor system, and many pilots, both general and civil, have simply (illegally) chosen not to report it on their medical application. Sometimes the public forgets that they are human beings, though.
December 11th, 2011 - 20:32
this guy is a former pilot yet he felt the need to play dress up as a professional pilot. I bet he doesn’t suffer either from depression so he feels that he’s better than anyone else. Whats better a depressed pilot flying an airplane or a pilot whos getting treated so he can feel better. Its a common well known fact that a depressed person is slower in many areas. Thinking, problem solving, motor skills reaction time. This guy is an idiot.
December 11th, 2011 - 20:40
Don’t you all realize that if you’ve been flying commercially then the chances are very high that you have flown with a Captain that suffers from depression? I have no problem at all flying with a pilot who is being successfully with antidepressents. Sure beats the heck out of flying with one who denies his disease ! The four medications that the FAA has approved have long successful records and few side effects. I know. I took Zoloft for many years and it made me feel…..well, normal.
December 11th, 2011 - 20:49
I don’t think antidepressants are a big deal. They don’t ruin your reaction time, etc., etc. Now if they started approving Lithium, Seroquil and other anti-psychotics, time to take the bus.
December 11th, 2011 - 21:24
Yeah they are nuts not to allow controlled use of anti-depressants in aviation. If we follow this nutty thinking, we should take the licenses of car drivers who take antidepressants.
I see antidepressants work everyday. I am stronger, less stressed, hence have improved judgment. Try to explain it to someone without first hand experience and they become dismissive.
As a general aviation pilot, I tried to apply for the anti-depressant special waiver. It’s an impossible process for anyone.
December 11th, 2011 - 22:04
“There’s always soma to calm your anger, to reconcile you to your enemies, to make you patient and long-suffering. In the past you could only accomplish these things by making a great effort and after years of hard moral training. Now, you swallow two or three half-gramme tablets, and there you are. Anybody can be virtuous now. You can carry at least half your morality about in a bottle. Christianity without tears-that’s what soma is.”
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 17
December 11th, 2011 - 22:32
This is insane. There is such a humongous to make air travel safe and now air-pilots are allowed to be doped up? Unacceptable.
December 11th, 2011 - 22:48
@This19 I’d rather have a “depressed pilot” than a crashed plane because of a crazed psychotic pilot having a side-effect.
December 11th, 2011 - 23:22
The idea is because people who have depression who fly wont self medicate by using alcohol etc.
December 11th, 2011 - 23:46
Posting this on my facebook. Got to stop the FAA from making a huge mistake again!!! Wasn’t 911 enough??? They Authorized Terrorists to fly our planes, now letting people with psychiatric problems fly it? WTF???!!!
December 12th, 2011 - 00:15
@This19 It’s not the issue of when they might ‘work’ – it’s the issue is when they may not, and will not, and will have one of the many adverse ‘side-effects’
December 12th, 2011 - 00:19
Antidepressant drugs work. I see them work everyday. Do you want a depressed pilot flying your jet?
December 12th, 2011 - 00:50
Even if it were true that in the past there had been research conducted in which test subjects with depression had their brain chemistry analyzed & it proved particular chemical compositions to cause depression. Still, every time someone is diagnosed with depression or any other problem that is claimed to be caused by a chemical imbalance, they would have to test the chemistry of every patient before prescribing drugs. But they don’t, they simply see a dejected person & write a death sentence
December 12th, 2011 - 00:56
@SadisticChick666
I figured you created “SadisticChick” as a humorous thing. Thus, I thought I’d go along with it & you’d know thats what was going on. “Chemical Imbalances” in the brain being the cause of Psychological problems is pure sci-fi fraudulence. The fact of the matter is that there is no scientific test which determines that there exists a chemical imbalance. Think about it, all a person has to do is go to a Psychiatrist & be diagnosed with depression & they’ll write a prescription
December 12th, 2011 - 01:41
@SadisticChick666 They’d be allowed to get medical attention, but should be on leave when they get it. Each person given medications is an experiment.
The other issue to perhaps address is the medications that have withdrawl effects from them as well.
December 12th, 2011 - 02:29
That is total insanity. No alcohol or weed but drugs that make you want to blow your own head off or become violent are ok….I don’t think it is a mystery who got this approve.
December 12th, 2011 - 02:42
@Chuichupachichi I made this account about 4 years ago.
The name is not who I am or what I’m like, silly. Don’t assume so much, I don’t wish for people to die. There is reason to be depressed, just like anyone else, not to mention the pressure on them when working. Also chemical imbalances in the brain sounds like a reason to feel depressed. injury has nothing to do with clinically depressed pilots needing medication..We shouldn’t deny pilots medical attention.
December 12th, 2011 - 03:34
their work week, Happy Jack!
What? Why should it be considered crazy to discuss this matter? Do people truly believe that D.C. has an overabundance of the highest paid, hottest call girls in the country because its all the impoverished, over taxed Black dudes in the ghetto that are calling them? Why do you think they always need more taxes & decide on whether or not to give themselves another raise? Because its conducive of happiness on “The Hill” & phenomenal phone bills
December 12th, 2011 - 04:15
considering that they’re always “flying high”. Other people don’t get paid six figures, but rather, their jobs pay much less & they have to pay to be flying high. Yet, it makes them feel good & happy. Imagine if those people could fly high every day & get paid a pilot’s salary for it… they’d be ridiculously, festively ecstatic. Maybe pilots need to take a cue from federal politicians? If they’re feeling down & gloomy, they get a hot call girl over the weekend & show up for all 12 hours of
December 12th, 2011 - 04:52
@SadisticChick666
{I believe that if a pilot needs anti-depressants than they should have them}
Yea, but yours is the opinion of a sadistic chick & you’re also a big fan of the 666 anti-Christ. Thus, its obvious why you wish for many people to die. Depression afflicting pilots, should be considered a seriously dangerous, mental defect, disorder, illness, dropped on their heads as an infant & way out WHACKED. Simply because there’s absolutely no reason why they should ever be depressed,
December 12th, 2011 - 05:27
Well, if the Captain shares his antidepressant extermidication with the passengers, at least they can all die happy.
It seems that the only solution to this problem that threatens to possibly kill airline passengers, is to threaten to kill the airlines by not flying for a while. They’ll get the message. Business flight is necessary but its not enough to sustain the airlines. If all Americans cancel simply 1 year’s vacations, everyone on the same year, that should do the trick.
December 12th, 2011 - 06:20
If pilots dosed themselves with Methamphetamine they’d get fired although their heightened senses & alertness would probably save lives… as well as a couple of airliner meals which would decrease the company’s overhead by a substantial amount over the course of a year. They’d simply be required to disallow flight attendants from getting near to the pilots or it can give a whole new meaning to the word “cockpit” & the autopilot would require heavy dosages to endure continual duty
December 12th, 2011 - 06:22
Actually, I’m more concerned with Air Traffic Controllers being on mind-altering drugs. They could really screw a lot up.
December 12th, 2011 - 06:36
@wingsgirl1313
Hey, it’s your choice, but don’t make anyone else fly the same way if they don’t want to take the risk.
December 12th, 2011 - 07:28
It looks like they are calling for more crashes with crazy acting pilots on airliners. It’s not like you can just take your foot off the throttle and pull over. And you don’t really want to have to be suppressing the only person who can land the sucker. Maybe they will have AI landing. These days their are forces that have the remote control “crasher chip”. Ghostable interface controller chip technology. It means someone can crash your plane with a cell phone or something.