Originally Posted by
Bigpants 
Shame but drug/drink dependency in commercial pilots not unusual, it is a stressful job.
I would disagree that drug dependency is not unusual - as I said in a previous post, over the past 25 years I can recount only one drug related event among anyone I was aware of although it may be simply that as detection improves, the statistics increase. Although neither drink nor drugs are compatible with flying, as has been said, alcohol has long been the accepted choice of many as a way of winding down at the end of the day, as in other occupations, and in moderation, with sufficient separation between flying duties, should be no problem.
If you can't stand the heat in the kitchen, don't go in there!! SIMPLES
But it's not quite that simple(s); airline flying itself is not particularly stressful but the multitude of stressful events triggered by antisocial roster patterns, missed birthdays/Christmas/anniversaries, partners who believe your working life is spent in the bunk/swimming pool/on a beach when in fact you're trying to recover from FTL induced fatigue in a hotel room etc can lead to problems in a way that is perhaps different to many other occupations. Most airline pilots are familiar with AIDS (Airline Induced Divorce Syndrome) and the attitude of many is to kick the tyres and get on with it whilst at work - suppressing the stress that is gradually building to the point where things really go wrong.
I'm not suggesting that this guy was suffering in this way but there is a lot of this type of behaviour in flying and any pilot who believes they are not susceptible to the sometimes emotional torture of balancing a job you love with a family you love is in denial.