Lived Experience Forum

[Appleblossom]

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2015/11/we-lose-a-medical-school-full-of-physicians-every-year-to-suicid...

Finding a balance between competitive and co-operative environments.

Any thoughts?

[Mazarita]

Hi @Appleblossom. I agree with what the article says about more supportive training for doctors. This would surely only improve too their ability to be compassionate and understanding of clients. My psychologist was talking the other day about the high suicide rate of psychologists and psychiatrists. To me it emphasises the fact that these mental health professionals we see are people with their own vulnerabilities, and may be going through something similar to us for all we know. This is something that is very easy to forget when we are ourselves in states of high distress. I know that I have had the idea in the past that doctors were miracle-wielding healing machines, rather than people, and that if they weren't able to pull the cure-all rabbit from their hats, they were worth nothing to me. These days I think I better understand that whatever positive human relationship we are able to develop with our mental health professionals is likely to improve their ability to treat us and just generally increase mental wellbeing all round.

[Appleblossom]

When I recall my neediness when I first went to counselling of any kind ... it was immense ... I didnt see the complexity behind every individual, but at least I was decent to them. I never expected them to work miracles and always appreciated a few words of kindness.

Expectation plays a big role in the drama of inequity ... in economic, gender,relationship and mental health terms.