I have very little experience of it, but I will tell you what I know.
In 1997, I had clinical depression for 3 months.
I was hugely fortunate that I didnt have it for longer than that, and have not had it since.
I do feel myself edging closer occasionally, but I know, in my individual case, to move around more, and I increase my green veg intake, which works for me, to stop it in its tracks.
I worked out that mine was largely caused through inactivity. I had several children, and thought I would take things easy for a few months, when my youngest started school.
Once I worked out what had caused mine [which probably is not the cause of hardly anyone else's] I was able to come off the pills I was prescribed by the doctor.
So my experience is limited. But real nonetheless.
During that time, it was awful. I could barely function on a day to day basis, and could not cope with negative things in general, such as bad news on the tv etc.
Thankfully, everyone around me who knew about it was very supportive, so no problems in that regard.
My thoughts were scrambled at that time.
I was a stay at home mum. If I had been going to work, I presume I would have been signed off, as I dont think personally I could have functioned properly at work.
After the 3 months, and indeed during it, there were hours when I could function normally, and hours when my mind had switched into being depressed.
I have no idea if that is my experience is the same for others.
But it may help explain why the german pilot could function enough to fly a plane.
But I definitely agree that there should have been, and should be mental health checks by professionals in each and every country, concerning the mental health of every pilot. I had assumed that that was always done, but it appears not.
A gross and dangerous oversight in my opinion.
Sorry for the long post. But I think that the general population needs to know a lot more about how mental health works, than they do at present.
I think that because, people are afraid to talk about it in general, that that is why people who have not had it, know so little sometimes.
