The word vulnerable is derived from the Latin, “vulnerare,” to wound. Vulnerable literally means “able to be wounded.” In common usage, we refer to being vulnerable when we’re feeling weak, fragile, and emotionally worn do…
Category: Psychiatry
Racism in medicine isn’t as overt as you think
When the term white supremacy culture is used, people get uncomfortable — they picture the skinhead as the prototypical racist. And while those people are dangerous, whether by their openly racist views being broadcast or in other subtle ways, they are…
What you don’t know about pain will hurt you [PODCAST]
“If you treat chronic pain, or are someone living with it, remember this: Changing the brain can change pain. Addressing emotional health directly impacts physical health, because brain and body are always connected. Pain psychologists can serve …
If you’re a nurse or an abuse survivor, you don’t have to be brave
For decades, I was constantly told how brave I was and wore “brave” like a scarlet letter on my chest. Brave for choosing to raise my children alone. Brave for becoming a nurse practitioner. Brave for going public with my story of child sexual abuse an…
Self-care should now be your plan
A family medicine resident sings, “Self-Care Should Now Be Your Plan.” Lyrics: You’ve seen lots of deaths in the hospital. Many patients you just couldn’t save. You did everything you could have possibly done, but the winner was…
Grieving our collective loss with compassion [PODCAST]
“Cultivating compassion for ourselves and others is a practice in which we release judgment, anger and heal our emotional wounds. We can then move forward to a version of a better world where we have evolved to a new beginning. Change is always h…
Grieving our collective loss with compassion [PODCAST]
“Cultivating compassion for ourselves and others is a practice in which we release judgment, anger and heal our emotional wounds. We can then move forward to a version of a better world where we have evolved to a new beginning. Change is always h…
A doctor turned Hollywood actor on physicians who struggle with suicidal ideation [PODCAST]
“Thanks for gathering today in this anonymous detached space. Since it’s unlikely that we’ll ever publicly convene in a circle on metal folding chairs, I’m reaching out through this letter. You can peruse this in private and perhaps see a piece o…
We must help physicians at the brink of burnout, depression, and high stress
One patient down. Nine more to go. My attending politely closed the door behind him and walked back to his computer to chart his patient. His pen crossed off a line from the list that he pulled from his pocket. His schedule was listed in 15-minute inte…
How to preserve empathy in medicine [PODCAST]
“No matter how extensive or well-developed your capacity for empathy may be, you cannot feel empathy for everyone all the time. Whether we’re talking about doctors who have never been patients, or clinicians who have never faced discrimination, w…
