Anxiety and Psych

[ZuperZtar]

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Do any of you who have anxiety or depression feel like being in the field of Psychiatry and listening to other patients with similiar issues makes your problems worse?

 

[animas]

edit

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Not really. As mentioned above, I can empathize with some things a little more easily because they fit with some of my past experiences, but I don't really see myself in patients or vice versa. When I was on my psych rotation, I had the notion that every psych patient was unique and that their disease presentation was very individualized, so I didn't wind up fitting my own issues into their issues. I did work with some people who felt like psych hit a little too close to home, though, so they opted to do something with less psych. I agree with the notion above that it might also hinge on how good of control you have over things, so seeking adequate treatment for your issues is pretty important no matter what you do.

 

[sunlioness]

Yeah, I agree with Dr. Bagel. It really depends on how well you're managing your own issues. If you're managing them well, then it's easier to keep your own stuff separate and do what you can for the patient. If you're not managing your own stuff well, then it's a lot easier to get drawn in to the patient's stuff (which helps neither you, nor them). So don't take care of others as a substitute for taking care of yourself. That goes nowhere. Take care of yourself first, so you can take care of others. It's very true.

 

[whopper]

It sounds perfectly reasonable for someone's anxiety and/or depression to be provoked if that person has triggers, and the patient is mentioning things that can set off those triggers.

If you are identifying this, you need to talk to your supervisor and discuss this issue. Various things can be done such as transferring the patient to someone else, or your supervisor can give you feedback on how you can better handle this.

I am assuming you're a resident, and I do recommend that you try to learn how to deal with this type of issue while in training if it has been happening often. Of course your program director & senior residents would be a better source since they know you better. You also have to do it at a rate where you are comfortable.