National Support group for Physicians with mental illness

[Delirium]

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If there is not such a support group, one must be created. I have been suffering from mental illness for a few years now and know of others in my school who are also suffering.

At times it gets REALLY discouraging and it is difficult to find someone to relate to and who will listen in a non-judgemental fashion.

It would be nice to meet some docs who were able to overcome their limitations and become good docs.

I have OCD. At times things seem hopeless.

Have any of you succesfully graduated medical school despite being affected by mental illness?

 

[OncoCaP]

If there is not such a support group, one must be created. I have been suffering from mental illness for a few years now and know of others in my school who are also suffering.

At times it gets REALLY discouraging and it is difficult to find someone to relate to and who will listen in a non-judgemental fashion.

It would be nice to meet some docs who were able to overcome their limitations and become good docs.

I have OCD. At times things seem hopeless.

Have any of you succesfully graduated medical school despite being affected by mental illness?

Why do physicians need their own support group ... why can't they use the same support groups that the general public uses (www.dailystrength.org, http://www.mencare.info/, http://www.nami.org/ etc.)?

 

[Hayden2102]

I have OCD too.

I don't necessarily think we need out own separate group but there is a group where I live that involves doctors volunteering to help other doctors who get in over their heads and get too stressed/depressed/despaired etc. which I think is a great idea especially with the stress and responsibility facing doctors these days. I presume they help doctors with mental illnesses too...

 

[Will_O]

It sounds like a great idea. I think a support group just for doctors would be great since a doctor with a mental illness could relate more to another doctor that is suffering, more so than a laymen with a mental illness. Isnt there a support group just for doctors that abuse alcohol or drugs. If thats the case, then why not a support group just for docs that suffer from a mental illness?

 

[BellyDancingDoc]

It sounds like a great idea. I think a support group just for doctors would be great since a doctor with a mental illness could relate more to another doctor that is suffering, more so than a laymen with a mental illness. Isnt there a support group just for doctors that abuse alcohol or drugs. If thats the case, then why not a support group just for docs that suffer from a mental illness?

Yikes, I can just imagine the malpractice sharks swimming outside your support groups walls.

OP, I'm all in favor of you getting all the support you need. Just be discrete about it! It sucks, but there are laywers out there who would drag stuff like this into a malpractice suit against you. Should you ever find yourself with such a suit against you, this is a great example of something that could really hurt you- no matter how relevant it actually was to the case. Be smart. Protect yourself. Be discrete.

 

[Will_O]

Yikes, I can just imagine the malpractice sharks swimming outside your support groups walls.

OP, I'm all in favor of you getting all the support you need. Just be discrete about it! It sucks, but there are laywers out there who would drag stuff like this into a malpractice suit against you. Should you ever find yourself with such a suit against you, this is a great example of something that could really hurt you- no matter how relevant it actually was to the case. Be smart. Protect yourself. Be discrete.

This is the kind of mindset that creates a stigma against people who suffer from mental illness and prevents profesionals who actually suffer from mental illness to seek treatment. I am just a pre-med like you, but I am thinking that patient care provided by physicians who are seeking treatment and support (from a doc support group), would be MUCH better, than by one who does not.

 

[MrBurns10]

Yikes, I can just imagine the malpractice sharks swimming outside your support groups walls.

OP, I'm all in favor of you getting all the support you need. Just be discrete about it! It sucks, but there are laywers out there who would drag stuff like this into a malpractice suit against you. Should you ever find yourself with such a suit against you, this is a great example of something that could really hurt you- no matter how relevant it actually was to the case. Be smart. Protect yourself. Be discrete.

Being discreet is exactly the thing doctors DON'T need. Mental illness, especially depression and anxiety (including OCD), is so prevalent in med school and the medical profession but the message has always been "be discreet" and this is exactly how the stigma of mental illnesses is propagated. People need to know that "mental illness" doesn't mean you're constantly looking over your shoulders for some alien trying to kill you or talking to the voice in your head during surgery. For the vast majority of doctors who are aware of their illness and get help for it, their illness does not ONCE affect their patients in a negative way...I know for certain mine has helped me become very good at relating to patients.

I guess my point is that, just like every other movement in history, someone has to decide to step up and and be an example or else nothing changes.

 

[Will_O]

Being discreet is exactly the thing doctors DON'T need. Mental illness, especially depression and anxiety (including OCD), is so prevalent in med school and the medical profession but the message has always been "be discreet" and this is exactly how the stigma of mental illnesses is propagated. People need to know that "mental illness" doesn't mean you're constantly looking over your shoulders for some alien trying to kill you or talking to the voice in your head during surgery. For the vast majority of doctors who are aware of their illness and get help for it, their illness does not ONCE affect their patients in a negative way...I know for certain mine has helped me become very good at relating to patients.

I guess my point is that, just like every other movement in history, someone has to decide to step up and and be an example or else nothing changes.

👍 👍 👍

 

[Delirium]

It is true about lawyers....perhaps these groups could be subtly formed. The internet provides a wonderful arena for open discussion that can be kept anonymous.

Ambulance chasers will always be there. I'm not going to not seek help for my problems bc i am scared of them. I'll deal with it when and if i have to.

Are there any such support groups that exist. I think that doctors who suffer from mental illness could mentor each other and it would be beneficial to all members of the group.

Perhaps we could set up such a forum on SDN? "Healthcare professionals suffering from X"

We dont deserve to suffer in silence anymore.

An anonymous network of docs who've made it or are still trying to get through med schl. I would love to get a mentor who had OCD and succesfully completed residency to talk to. I think it'd be a wonderful resource. We should be open about our flaws....if we are not, our patients suffer and we are just hypocrits. We are after all only regular people with regular problems.

Some of the greatest minds in history have been affected by mental illness. Why suffer in silence. The better we get, the more everyone benefits. Its just a disease, like diabetes.

 

[justwondering]

arent physicians required to disclose mental illness?

one of my friends had bipolar disorder and she had to go thru this whole process before starting residency.

as long as there's a requirement like this for mental disorders while physicians with other problems (heart disease, etc) do not have to disclose their issues, there will be a stigma.

its pretty dumb.

 

[tulane06]

arent physicians required to disclose mental illness?

one of my friends had bipolar disorder and she had to go thru this whole process before starting residency.

as long as there's a requirement like this for mental disorders while physicians with other problems (heart disease, etc) do not have to disclose their issues, there will be a stigma.

its pretty dumb.

Wow, that's crazy. Which state was she was doing her residency in?

 

[Delirium]

arent physicians required to disclose mental illness?

one of my friends had bipolar disorder and she had to go thru this whole process before starting residency.

as long as there's a requirement like this for mental disorders while physicians with other problems (heart disease, etc) do not have to disclose their issues, there will be a stigma.

its pretty dumb.

I thought we had to disclose at every hospital. I think this is fairly ******ed because mental illness can affect anyone at different times. Think about all the docs entering residency who will be affected by depression, anxiety and alcoholism alone.