An anonymous physician shares a deeply personal account of losing a close friend and fellow physician to suicide. While reports continue to surface of physician deaths by suicide, this story in particular has a powerful impact on readers, highlighting the stresses that can lead to physician burnout and depression, the barriers to doctors seeking help, and ultimately the impact one's death has on loved ones ...
"I became good at managing the stress, though, and by this, I mean suppressing the negative feelings. Physicians are good at delayed gratification. We are good at telling ourselves we are living “normal” lives when anyone living outside of medicine would never consider our existence normal. We tell ourselves it is normal because compared to residency, it kind of is in a perverse way. It works for a while, and many are able to do it their whole careers, but some can’t. I was good at it right up until the point that I wasn’t.
Being a doctor can feel very confining at times. There is an upfront investment of time and money that is greater than most professions. The “real job” often doesn’t start until your early 30s (if you have gone straight through college, medical school, and residency) and at the end of training, you have walked so far down the path it’s all you know. What if it’s not what you expected? What if you hate it? What if it’s no longer fulfilling? The chronic stress of being a physician can manifest itself as depression, anxiety, failed relationships, substance abuse or even suicide. I’ve seen all of these scenarios up close either in myself or others."
For the full article, click here: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2016/03/many-physicians-will-lose-suicide.html
"I became good at managing the stress, though, and by this, I mean suppressing the negative feelings. Physicians are good at delayed gratification. We are good at telling ourselves we are living “normal” lives when anyone living outside of medicine would never consider our existence normal. We tell ourselves it is normal because compared to residency, it kind of is in a perverse way. It works for a while, and many are able to do it their whole careers, but some can’t. I was good at it right up until the point that I wasn’t.
Being a doctor can feel very confining at times. There is an upfront investment of time and money that is greater than most professions. The “real job” often doesn’t start until your early 30s (if you have gone straight through college, medical school, and residency) and at the end of training, you have walked so far down the path it’s all you know. What if it’s not what you expected? What if you hate it? What if it’s no longer fulfilling? The chronic stress of being a physician can manifest itself as depression, anxiety, failed relationships, substance abuse or even suicide. I’ve seen all of these scenarios up close either in myself or others."
For the full article, click here: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2016/03/many-physicians-will-lose-suicide.html
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