“We have a chance to take a meaningful step in fighting burnout and mental health issues in the health care profession. We have lost too many valued and vibrant health care professionals due to an illness that is treatable but stigmatized – inclu…
Category: Psychiatry
The role of empathy in improving patient care and decreasing medical liability
Studies reveal that more than half of all practicing physicians demonstrate signs of burnout. Contemporary physicians face tremendous pressures due to a confluence of factors, including balancing heavy patient loads within constrained schedules, the in…
Self-harm and eating disorders in teens
An excerpt from The Addicted Child: A Parent’s Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse. How do you know if your teen has a substance problem? The inability to control substance use despite negative consequences is a classic definition of a severe sub…
The fundamental question that encircles the whole practice of psychiatry
Mary (identifying information changed) was extremely pleasant, to say the least. By the time I met her on the senior unit, she had seemingly befriended even the orneriest of our geriatric patients. She wandered and danced about the unit, speaking with …
Take back the power and joy of being a doctor [PODCAST]
“What can we control? Our behavior and our responses to circumstances. Focusing on what is in our power to control and putting all our energy and efforts in the right places and for the right reasons seems to be a step in the right direction to m…
To my fellow physicians who are struggling with suicidal ideation
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 of yours…
Why physician-specialized private counseling practices are important [PODCAST]
“Attending physicians struggling with a mental health issue should consider contacting a counselor first, rather than a department head or employer resource. A counselor can assess the mental health issue, offer treatment recommendations, and pro…
A doctor’s fear of depression
I was in my fourth year of medical college in psychiatry electives. I remember my professor discussing a young boy, an A-grade engineering student diagnosed with depression one year back and now was admitted in the psychiatry ward with severe depressio…
National Physician Suicide Awareness Day: Break the silence
“I don’t know if I can keep doing this” “I can’t see a way out.” “I feel stuck – trapped.” What is it like? That feeling of being exhausted, stuck, not feeling like there is a way out. I think of it as running a marathon where you can’t stop. Y…
A new paradigm for psychiatric emergencies [PODCAST]
“Imagine this scenario: a busy mom struggles to balance work and parenting during the pandemic when suddenly her teenage son begins to anger. He gets out of control, screams threats, and kicks a hole in the wall. Neighbors call the police, who re…
