For the last few days I’ve been hearing the news about the JetBlue pilot that was agitated and went berserk screaming about a bomb on his plane and had to be taken down and restrained with seat belts.
This pilot was a highly respected “flights standards captain”, had decades of flying experience, recently passed a psychological exam, and was well liked by his peers. In fact people who know him well describe him as happy, fun, friendly and a “consummate professional.”
Today I read that investigators are investigating whether medications, or their side effects, might 
be an issue.
I keep hearing the word panic attack being thrown around rather loosely to describe what happened to him, and frankly, this ticks me off.
“Law enforcement sources have called the outburst a panic attack.” – ABC News
“JetBlue Pilot Clayton Osbon Had An In-Air Panic Attack: What Is It?” – The Huffington Post
“Osbon’s panic attack on Flight 191 led authorities to divert the flight.” – Radar Online
“JetBlue Pilot Had a Panic Attack “- Good Morning America
What the hell??
This was not a simple panic attack! This was a psychiatric emergency or psychotic reaction. People having panic attacks don’t act like this. I think until more facts are revealed, the news media would be best not to slap a convenient label on this situation. It does nothing but to keep the public misinformed about panic attacks.
Panic attack is not a catch all phrase for any unexplainable weird behavior. To the people that report the news- please stick to reporting facts, not BS.
I wish you peace,
Jill G.
I agree completely. All this does it put more of a stigma on panic attack sufferers!
Thank you! It ticks me off.