Helping the Helpers: Why Physicians Die by Suicide
As a culture, we often look at doctors as our everyday heroes. They are there for us in our most troubling times, helping us survive through disaster or helping us cope with the horrors of illness and what it means to be human. Doctors, in particular, have been a part of all our lives at some point. They helped us or our loved ones combat symptoms of an illness, heal our sick children and are typically the first of those around us to witness our grieving. What happens when doctors are the ones trying to battle through illness and grief themselves?
Why Physicians Die by Suicide: Lessons Learned from their Families and Others Who Cared by Dr. Michael Myers gives us insight into the realities of mental health issues in doctors. What we learn from this text is that those who are sworn by oath to "do no harm" often find themselves doing harm to themselves by not receiving adequate mental health care.
Surprisingly, there is a lot of stigma when it comes to doctors accessing professional mental health support. Whether it's therapy or medication, doctors can sometimes struggle to battle through the same stigma that the rest of us face when we encounter mental health challenges. In addition, since they are so heavily invested in the role of healer and problem solver, there is an added pressure to keep their mental health issues quiet, powering through in order to be the overachievers and perfectionists that school and training have often taught them to be. After all, in their professions lives are at stake daily. In Myers' estimation, it seems that doctors forget that their lives are at stake too.
In Why Physicians Die by Suicide: Lessons Learned from Families and Others Who Cared, Myers shares of his personal connection to suicide. He lost a young colleague, and roommate, by the name of Bill early on in his medical career to suicide. It's no doubt that this experience has influenced Myers' trajectory and passion about de-stigmatizing mental health issues for medical doctors. In his book, he also shares stories and vignettes from doctors and other family members of those who have dealt with depression and suicide. The anecdotes are staggering, and are reminiscent of some of the conversations I have with family members who have loved ones who struggle with thoughts of suicide.
It's difficult to talk about suicide in any context. Many therapists and mental health professionals struggle with that as well. This is exactly why we need a book like Why Physicians Die by Suicide. We have to continue to de-stigmatize the realities that people of all walks of life can be dealing with depressive thoughts and or suicidal thoughts and plans. Myers warns us that we also have to be particularly watchful of our doctors because they can often find very creative ways to mask their depression and other mental health challenges. As a therapist, this is an eye-opening text and will absolutely change the way that I think about my work with those in the helping professions who often find themselves giving so much to their clients and patients.
Why Physicians Die by Suicide: Lessons Learned from Families and Others Who Cared is available for purchase at most major book retailers such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon.