By now, I’m sure you’ve all read or heard about the Jet Blue pilot who was restrained by passengers yesterday. I’m so thankful that all passengers and crew are safe after what was a very frightening emergency situation.
From the reports I have read, the pilot was yelling, banging on the cockpit door, and appeared to be confused. One source reported that he had a panic attack. The JetBlue officials reported on a company blog that a “medical situation involving the Captain” caused the flight to be diverted. However, the comments left on the blog made my stomach turn:
I support JetBlue, but this response is nonsensical. Best not to sanitize what sounds like a very serious situation. A pilot having a bout of food poisoning mid-flight is a ‘medical situation.’ An on-duty pilot having a psychotic episode in-flight…is a different category all-together.
Another commenter was more succinct:
“CRAZY IS NOT A MED CONDITION PPL. gotta love the way stuff gets reported.”
Fortunately, several other readers tried to explain the effects of medical conditions on mental health, and others mentioned HIPAA compliance. However, those comments weren’t read on the national news this morning…and it makes me so sad. We have such a long way to go when it comes to understanding mental health issues…
- We have to educate the teacher who told my client, “ADHD? That’s just a cop out.”
- We have to help the administrator who said, “I don’t see any Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. She just keeps going to her locker over and over again…”
- We musn’t conclude that the child having a melt-down is a big brat.
- We must stop assuming that the teen in trouble is the product of “bad parenting.”
- We need to recognize that anxiety and depression are REAL…not flaws in character…and NOT the result of weak faith.
We need to find a church for every child.
With high hopes for flying the friendly skies~
Katie
Diving for Pearls 
People’s ignorance, and sometimes self-righteousness, is sad. We must do what we can to educate and also pray that God opens their hearts.
Thank you, Katie!
You know I have had people tell me that a psychiatrist isn’t a real doctor. It is sad that people don’t take the time to try and understand before they pass judgement.
Thanks – my own parents have doubted our daughter’s diagnosis of ADHD, OCD and ODD, that things of the brain can’t possibly be medical, but simply bad parenting and disobedience. Now that our son’s been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, I think they’re no longer sure what to think, but I think we see and hear from them less because of what they think of our parenting.
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