anxiety probs

[drchiller]

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hey guys,

i'm a first year medical student who's got a question for you guys.

i have really bad problems with generalized anxiety (due to a few really extreme experiences when i was younger) and don't think I could handle a very high stress discipline without losing my head (lol, or at least having constant hear palpitations). we're going to start shadowing soon, and I was interested in doing some shadowing in disciplines which are congruent with my goal of not putting an extreme amount of stress on myself... some things im looking for are no insane hours (less than 50ish is pref), low acute stress (no ER please), and low emotional stress (inpatient psych/people with severe mental disorders)

I already have FM, outpatient psych, community health, and pathology on my list... can you guys suggest any more I may not have though of.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Derm, Ophtho, Physical Medicine

 

[Old Grunt]

hey guys,

i'm a first year medical student who's got a question for you guys.

i have really bad problems with generalized anxiety (due to a few really extreme experiences when i was younger) and don't think I could handle a very high stress discipline without losing my head (lol, or at least having constant hear palpitations). we're going to start shadowing soon, and I was interested in doing some shadowing in disciplines which are congruent with my goal of not putting an extreme amount of stress on myself... some things im looking for are no insane hours (less than 50ish is pref), low acute stress (no ER please), and low emotional stress (inpatient psych/people with severe mental disorders)

I already have FM, outpatient psych, community health, and pathology on my list... can you guys suggest any more I may not have though of.

I suggest addressing the underlying problem, which is your anxiety. No matter what you do in life, there are going to be stressful times. Medical School is stressful, residency will be stressful, life is stressful.

Perhaps you should consider talking to a professional about your anxiety and working on coping mechanisms.

I am not trying to be snarky. I saw lots of people I knew who had serious PTSD issues upon returning from combat. Playing IED roulette for a year tends to turn most everyone into a stressball. The ones that were willing to address the issue and talk to a psychologist/psychiatrist tended to get over the hump.

The problem with not addressing anxiety is that it often leads towards self medication and that was the trend I saw with those who refused to get help.

Keep in mind that you are a patient when you talk to a psych doc and thus everything is confidential.

 

[drchiller]

I see a pdoc and a counsellor, I'm not trying to avoid the issue of being in stressful situation... its just for me a very important factor in my profession choice, which is hard for anyone to understand unless you've been in my situation, specifically.

Thanks for the input 🙂

I suggest addressing the underlying problem, which is your anxiety. No matter what you do in life, there are going to be stressful times. Medical School is stressful, residency will be stressful, life is stressful.

Perhaps you should consider talking to a professional about your anxiety and working on coping mechanisms.

I am not trying to be snarky. I saw lots of people I knew who had serious PTSD issues upon returning from combat. Playing IED roulette for a year tends to turn most everyone into a stressball. The ones that were willing to address the issue and talk to a psychologist/psychiatrist tended to get over the hump.

The problem with not addressing anxiety is that it often leads towards self medication and that was the trend I saw with those who refused to get help.

Keep in mind that you are a patient when you talk to a psych doc and thus everything is confidential.

 

[Bonesaw45]

Its important to be aware of your personal needs when deciding on these things. Don't let anyone guilt you into feeling like you should give more of yourself/do more. As it is seven years of your life working harder and more hours than some people do in 14 years of work seems like plenty to me.

Also if you find yourself interested in a high stress field don't let your anxiety disorder hinder you from your interest. There are many ways (after residency) to stay involved in a specialty with a lighter schedule, you won't be a department chair of any sort but you will be happy. The good news is that anxiety disorders respond very well to psychological therapy, I know from personal experience with both myself and my g/f. Although I don't know your personal situation I wish you the best of luck in going after your personal struggles.

 

[TinyFish]

It *is* extremely difficult to understand this situation unless you've had a similar one. I can't say that any of us can fully understand what you're going through, but I would bet anything that many people on this board and many people around you have anxiety issues.

I also have a history of anxiety, including past PD and ongoing GAD. Unfortunately, generalized anxiety can be a chronic issue that you might have to keep working on for a very long time. But as other people have mentioned on this thread, there are ways of doing exactly that. I absolutely agree that addressing the underlying disorder starting now is the best thing you can do at this point.

Regarding choice of field, I agree to an extent that you should do whatever you want even if it's high-stress. HOWEVER, only to an extent - people, both students and faculty at academic centers, tend to be overly-idealistic. You have to think very very carefully not only about what you "like doing," but also what your goals in life are. This takes time and thought. What you might like doing now, when you're in your early 20's, might not be what you want to be doing when you're in your 40's. You have to think about what you're willing to sacrifice and what you're not willing to sacrifice. You have time to think about this, but be careful before jumping on a decision. It is extremely difficult to realize what it's like to practice until you actually practice. Shadowing gives you a taste of what a specialty is like, but it can be misleading because your perspective will depend on the personality of the person you are shadowing. They might love ER/derm/etc. It's easy to be influenced by peoples' enthusiasm for a field, but that does not mean it is the right field for you.

Third year rotations will give you a better idea of what it's like to practice. Your fourth-year sub-internships will give you an even better idea. Your residency will give you an even better idea, etc.

Don't forget, you're young and there's plenty of time. If you end up applying for a residency and realize you hate what you're doing and can't take it, you can always switch. It won't be the end of the world if you do.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Third year rotations will give you a better idea of what it's like to practice. Your fourth-year sub-internships will give you an even better idea. Your residency will give you an even better idea, etc.

Don't forget, you're young and there's plenty of time. If you end up applying for a residency and realize you hate what you're doing and can't take it, you can always switch. It won't be the end of the world if you do.

Yah im not sure how well that's gon fly with the "less anxiety" inducing specialties. Most of those tend to be competitive and your chances of getting in diminish greatly should you be switching in last minute.

 

[TinyFish]

Yah im not sure how well that's gon fly with the "less anxiety" inducing specialties. Most of those tend to be competitive and your chances of getting in diminish greatly should you be switching in last minute.

Very true, many of the "lifestyle specialties" are competitive and unforgiving. I never, however, said "last minute" switching as in switching when you're applying during fourth year, which is what I'm guessing you mean by last minute (?). I mean switching when you're a resident. Which, again, can be hard depending on specialties, but possible. Being stress-free is not incompatible with working hard, especially if you enjoy what you're doing.

And, you know, who's to say that the "less anxiety-inducing specialties" (by which I'm sure everyone here means the ROAD specialties) are the ones that are actually going to be less anxiety-provoking for the OP? It depends on the demands, culture, and personalities pertaining to the specialty. I have met anxious people with raging anxiety in all fields and chill people in all fields. There's annoying stuff to deal with regardless of what you go into. I think you just have to figure out what works for you.