I'm more concerned about a record being made in general, than how it is made. If were to be affected by a tragedy and visit a psychologist or psychiatrist to receive support, it would likely require a diagnosis of depression to get insurance coverage, and having that on my record could make it more difficult and costly to legally fly an airplane or own a gun, and who knows what else.
Get help if you need it. Having periods of depression on your medical record doesn’t make your life more difficult, unless maybe you’re trying to be a spy or an astronaut or something.
It's insane that anyone should have to have that attitude, but also completely reasonable.
A Germanwings pilot killed himself and everyone on his flight, because he didn't seek treatment for depression, as he was expressly warned that regulations require he lose his job and be banned from his career, for doing so. The regulations intent was to keep suicidal pilots from flying, but in practice its primary effect is to keep suicidal pilots from seeking official care.
The same is true for gun possession in multiple US states, which can preclude those who carry a gun in the line of duty from working in their careers. Air traffic controllers and EMTs are often affected by similar regulations as pilots and officers, too.
There is a significant push in many jurisdictions for stricter health limits on drivers licenses, and we could easily end up with similar regulations there.
This is actually a problem with e.g. airline pilots. They'll hide conditions (especially mental health issues) that they know could trigger a suspension or re-evaluation of their ability to fly. Even if those conditions are entirely treatable and wouldn't actually affect their ability to fly during/after treatment.
So your statement is factually incorrect: in some common professions, your medical record can make your life significantly more difficult.
Yep, a bipolar diagnosis will get a commercial pilot grounded for life so they avoid any diagnosis or treatment even if it would help them immensely. And I certainly don't feel safer knowing pilots are avoiding mental health care.
