peer support for med students with mental illness

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hey all - i'm a M1 in canada who has been dealing with various mental health issues my whole life & i've accepted i always will. i don't believe that has much bearing on my capacity to practice as a competent physician and i'm not worried about that side of things, but i do feel pretty alone and isolated in my class and in the culture of medicine as a whole. things are slowly starting to get a bit better but it's still pretty unusual to talk openly about mental health issues (especially as things that continue to affect us, not just inspirational stories about how we've overcome past problems!) and i keep feeling like it would be so comforting and helpful to have people in the same boat to vent to and chat with.

is there any space specifically for med students dealing with mental health issues? a secret FB group, a subreddit, a forum, anything? if not, do you think there would be interest in having one if i created it? i know i can't be the only person in north american med ed who feels this way and i would love for us to have a space where we can feel a little less alone and weird.

 

[y123]

Dose your school offer counseling?
The peer support group idea sounds pretty good

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Unfortunately there is still a lot of judgment and stigma around these issues. I had counseling briefly during med school for stress/anxiety, but made sure it was nowhere near my hospital and went so far as to pay private so it wouldn't show up anywhere on my medical record. Unfortunately, even though you think it may not affect your ability to practice medicine, someone else might if they find out. And you never know what people talk about behind closed doors---I can just imagine a scenario where someone is subtly encouraged not to accept you into a residency because they feel you might drop out due to mental health issues. It is not right and it shouldn't happen, and I don't mean to scare you, but I can absolutely imagine that situation. That's why I think counseling is a good idea but keep your med school out of it. Otherwise, establishing a peer group online that is safe/anonymous isn't a bad idea. I'm sure Reddit has something. If you do choose to create a group at your med school, name it something like "stress relief" so that people with the same worries aren't scared to join. Just my 2 cents.

 

[PrettyLadyDoc24]

hey all - i'm a M1 in canada who has been dealing with various mental health issues my whole life & i've accepted i always will. i don't believe that has much bearing on my capacity to practice as a competent physician and i'm not worried about that side of things, but i do feel pretty alone and isolated in my class and in the culture of medicine as a whole. things are slowly starting to get a bit better but it's still pretty unusual to talk openly about mental health issues (especially as things that continue to affect us, not just inspirational stories about how we've overcome past problems!) and i keep feeling like it would be so comforting and helpful to have people in the same boat to vent to and chat with.

is there any space specifically for med students dealing with mental health issues? a secret FB group, a subreddit, a forum, anything? if not, do you think there would be interest in having one if i created it? i know i can't be the only person in north american med ed who feels this way and i would love for us to have a space where we can feel a little less alone and weird.

I find the website and teachings of Pamela Wible to be very helpful. She's an advocate for humanity in medical training and she's got some wonderful writings out there.

Hang in there, okay? Remember that there is no better time then the present to get help. Your life has a lot of meaning and you need to look out for your health.