How to help cousin through surgery residency

[basupran]

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My cousin is losing her mind (pgy1 GS @ a moderately malignant university program). She is flipping out and losing her temper (ie yelling at family for no reason almost every other day), crying on a regular basis and being irrational. She has said that life sucks and that she is miserable. She seems as if she is nearing the downward spiral. The residency counselor has not been of much help. I am tapped for options and all I can do is offer my support. I have no idea what I can do for her (I am a medical student and haven't hit the residency wall yet).

What can I do to help her get through this?

 

[Winged Scapula]

Can you downsize the picture?

 

[basupran]

Did it before I read your post (didn't realize that it was so large). Any advice winged scapula?

 

[Winged Scapula]

Now it doesn't show (it was a cool picture).

 

[basupran]

It was a cool picture:
http://dailybiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/371_downward_spiral.jpg

You can downsize it on photoshop or paint.

 

[maxheadroom]

Just give her support. There really isn't anything special to do. Lots of people have a mid-intern-year-freak-out sometime after Christmas and before spring. I bottomed out in mid-January of my intern year along with several of my colleagues. Tell her that you're there for her and then back off.

 

[tussy]

First year of surgery residency is stressful. I would suggest just being there for your cousin when they need to vent, a shoulder to cry on, etc.

some nice things you could do would be to show up with a good tastely healthy meal in hand, and don't stay too late as she'll need to get to bed early. Offer to help with errands as well - she will be working during all business hours and things such as picking up drycleaning, goign to the bank, getting groceries, etc becomes impossible.

She'll figure out how to get her life balanced and still make a place for family in it, but it takes a bit of time.