If you are a health professional, look after your mental health

Mental health is essential because it influences in all the aspects of our lives: our emotions, thoughts, relationships and developing our jobs or studies. 

When we have a good mental health we can manage stress, make better decisions and enjoy life. 

On the medical side, patient’s mental health is very important. By giving an integral focus that combines physical health and mental health, we can improve their quality of life and prevent them from a long-term problem. 

But what happens with the doctors who treat all those patients? Are all those working challenges affecting them?

Absolutely yes, and that’s something that people is starting to realize just recently. 

There are different factors, like for example progressive exhaustion, depression, stress and post-traumatic stress, emotional disorders, drug abuse, anxiety… Some of them even tempt to idealize suicide. 

But also, another important factor that makes a difference and alters their mental health, is the conflict between work and personal life. 

How can we improve or avoid those disorders?

It is essential to know the reasons why the doctor’s mental health is getting worse. 

There are several reasons that could be working against them. 

•  Professional reasons: a doctor’s work implies a lot of emotional stress and a big responsibility. Doctors must face delicate situations, and in some of them the patient’s life can be in danger. They also have to make vital decisions very quick and also feel the pressure of the patient’s family. 

  That’s not all. Sometimes they must give bad news and that can produce a shock effect from relatives.

  If we think about working shifts, medical ones are the longest one inside the working life. Sometimes they must face a 24-hour shifts or 16-hour shifts. Some of them are not able to rest the day after because their presence is required at their workplace. That can affect their clinical practice or even create a car crash. 

  Another professional factor can be involved: they have easier access to drug prescriptions. Despite being health professionals, that can also become some dangerous. Doctors know how drugs work and the effect they produce. Some of them have direct access to those drugs and they can self-prescribe them. 

  And finally, let’s take conscience about the work environment is not always ideal. Most of those time, they don’t work as a team, and each worker focuses just on earn merits individually, like a competition. If a doctor is going through a rough time and doesn’t feel supported by his coworkers, his mental health will get very affected. 

• Personal reasons: after so many years studying and trying to raise medical excellence, a lot of doctor’s tent to be proper perfectionist. Although that’s not always a bad sign, if they take it to an extreme, it can bring them terrible consequences like not being able to forgive themselves for mistakes that they obviously will make at some point. 

  Besides of that, their sense of responsibility can make them blame themselves for events that were out of their control. 

  A lot of the time there is fear for the legal consequences of their decisions and that’s why they feel a constant pressure over their shoulders. 

If you are a health professional and you are still reading this, we want to let you know that you are not alone. We know that you are facing a lot of situations that can require of your skills to guarantee a quality medical attention to each one of your patients. 

But we also want you to be okay. 

That’s why here on CMC we want to give you some ideas and tip that can be useful if you’re having problems to reach mental wellbeing. 

Let’s start with the basics: 

• Eat regularly and in a balanced way. We know that sometimes is difficult when you are in the middle of a long shift, but your diet will significantly influence on your efficiency. We cannot forget a good hydration either.
• Avoid sugar drink of trash food. 
• Try to sleep at least for eight hours after every shift. Your body will be thankful. 
• Try to disconnect, do things that you like: do some exercise, read a book, go to the cinema… 
• Try to talk about something that isn’t your job. There’s time for everything. 

On the other hand, even if sometimes can be complicated, try to maintain an active and assertive communication with your coworkers. That will improve your work environment more than what you imagine. 

If after all those things you still feel that the emotional discomfort is still there and is not getting better but worse, don’t hesitate; ask for help. 

Each time more institutions are aware that health professionals’ mental health is going down and lots of them are trying to do something about it. There’s new initiatives to guarantee and effective help. 

We know that sometimes it can be difficult to recognize it, but the effort is worth it. You are not alone and you don’t have to face this problem alone. 

That’s why if you are a health professional, take care of your mental health.