Physician, Please Stop Trying to “Heal Thyself”

“A minor operation is one that is done on someone else.”  Richard Selzer, MD

Recently I had the privilege of moderating a panel discussion on the topic “When the Doctor Becomes the Patient” with 3 colleagues as part of a local virtual medical conference.  Each panelist had experienced multiple health challenges, some of which were ongoing and quite serious.  They were very forthcoming with their stories, and I found their courage in the midst of what they were experiencing to be quite inspiring.

Each of the panelists were very complementary of the health care they had received, and of those who had provided the care.  As I have reflected more on that conversation since the conference, two things have continued to bother me:  First, when I asked the group what hadn’t gone well in the context of their care, none of them directly answered the question, but rather referenced back to all that had gone well.  Secondly, when a question came from an attendee (a psychiatrist) who asked how they had dealt with the emotional aspects of their illness, all shared of supportive family, friends, and community, but none shared of seeking any professional help for their struggles.

While certainly part of being resilient is looking for the positive in any situation, population data would indicate that all did not go well during their very protracted illnesses and treatments, and that emotionally they were not coping just fine in the face of some quite profound physical, psychological, and existential challenges.  And I was left concerned that our professional programming was once again rearing its ugly head – that even in the face of serious challenges, our rugged independence, overdeveloped sense of competence, and professional armor of invulnerability override our ability to be human.

The data are very clear in study after study that at baseline, the practice of medicine is incredibly emotionally challenging and as such, takes an emotional toll on us all.  We know that the pandemic has only made this worse.  For many, the result of this cumulative and often unprocessed distress will manifest as burnout, anxiety, PTSD, depression, moral injury/distress, and/or relational dysfunction.  For a tragic few, they will choose to take their life through suicide as what they believe to be the only way to address this, often without ever having reached out for help.

I have been very forthcoming with my own stories regarding seeking professional help for physical and/or emotional distress at times when I needed it, and how both very difficult it was to admit I needed help, and also how life-giving receiving that help was for me.  In retrospect, it was during those dark times that the seeds of the PeerRxMed program were planted. 

While it is certainly possible based on selection bias that my three colleagues on that panel were truly doing well emotionally in the midst of their health challenges,  I am left wondering, and hope that they do indeed have persons in their lives with whom they can process any emotional struggles they are experiencing.  Your PeerRxMed partner is one such person for you.  No, they are not and should not function as a therapist.  But they certainly should serve as a colleague and friend.   And supporting each other on the journey is what colleagues and friends do.  No physician or other healthcare clinician should ever believe that they should or can “heal thyself.”  Remember, we’re in this together.  No one should care alone.  By having a PeerRxMed buddy, you are making sure that is true for you.  Well done! …. now pass it on.