Psychiatry

Caring for our caregivers: Addressing the burnout crisis in health care

Physician
August 18, 2024

The public health crisis of burnout among health care workers is more severe than many realize. With 49% of physicians experiencing burnout, patients face a 1 in 2 chance of being treated by an exhausted, unmotivated, and underperforming doctor. This issue affects all areas of health care, from emergency and urgent care visits to surgeries, deliveries, and cancer screenings. A patient’s well-being hinges on health care professional’s ability to …

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A doctor’s eye-opening journey as a patient

Physician
August 17, 2024

In 2022, I sought out mental health care, finally able to say, “I need help.” During this experience, my doctor’s brain churned, and a new patient’s brain grew. These allowed me to see both sides of the world of medicine, and the contrast, unfortunately, disappointed me. Below is a spur-of-the-moment writing inspired by a series of unfortunate patient experiences. In sharing these words, I hope I can help the patients …

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Unlock your child’s potential: the power of nurturing hidden talents

Conditions
August 16, 2024

What do you do to make your child confident? Do you tell them that they are amazing? Do you say that they are smart? Do they believe you?

Today, I am going to share the story of an autistic child who was brought to the doctor after a severe mental breakdown at school. His school had completely given up on him; they asked his parents to transfer him to another school …

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The surprising truth about where intimacy really begins

Conditions
August 16, 2024

Intimacy starts outside the bedroom. Most people think intimacy occurs inside, but it seems to me this could not be farther from the truth.

Intimacy is a taboo topic in our society. I am not referring to only physical intimacy but also emotional and spiritual. For some reason, it makes us uncomfortable; it rattles us.

Intimacy is about honesty, love, and connection. It starts with connection, but the other pillars are essential.

Our …

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How to rewire your brain with positive language

Conditions
August 15, 2024

Language is a powerful internal influencer. You use language to communicate with yourself, just as you do with others. Language is the byproduct of what you think and helps create, define, and redefine the way you think. An angry person is more likely to have negative thoughts. If your internal language is negative about yourself, the people in your life, or your environment, you may come to believe what you …

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Prevent youth suicide: essential steps for parents to secure their home

Conditions
August 13, 2024

This blog contains information about youth suicide which may be triggering for some readers. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal ideations, please seek attention from your own medical provider, call 988, or text 741741 for guidance and professional support.

As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I spent a fair share of my day speaking to parents about suicide prevention. Oftentimes, when a parent is thinking about how to …

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How psychotherapy can rescue burned-out physicians [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 12, 2024
YouTube video

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In this episode, we delve into the critical issue of burnout among health care providers with our guest, Susan Landers, a retired neonatologist. We explore the alarming rates of burnout and depression among …

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Mindfulness: Beat the overwhelm and find your focus

Conditions
August 12, 2024

Does it sometimes feel like you are a teeny tiny person in a world that is so big, surrounded by giants doing their giant people things? Does it feel like, to keep up, you have to do ten thousand tasks? And somehow, even when you manage to complete those ten thousand things, it’s still not enough, and there are ten thousand more waiting. Just writing these lines is giving me …

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Find fulfillment: Reject societal pressures and embrace simplicity

Physician
August 12, 2024

Such calmness,
Groundedness,
Beauty,
Standing tall and mighty.
The sense of peace in your presence—
Protected,
Safe,
A patient teacher.
No rah-rah, motivational fluff.
Quiet, yet confident,
Not rushing,
Not chasing,
Not running around striving.
Still, grounded, present.

In a world where people tell me I need to take big financial risks to be fulfilled, I say bullsh*t.

My inner fulfillment is felt when still, calm, and trusting that this simple life I cherish is the most fulfilling of all. Connected to humans, connected to …

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Systemic failures in mental health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 10, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Claire Ellerbrock, a nurse practitioner with a background in psychiatric and behavioral health care. Claire shares her powerful and transformative experience with a patient named John, whose tragic passing …

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A journey of self-worth and healing [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 9, 2024
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Join us for a conversation with Jillian Rigert, an oral medicine specialist and radiation oncology research fellow. Jillian shares her journey of overcoming mental illness during medical school, redefining self-worth, and challenging harmful …

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Untold stories of physician suicide and mental health [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 8, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us as we explore the world of clinician wellness and mental health with three remarkable guests. Kim Downey, a physician advocate, shares her insights on supporting health care professionals. Betsy Gall, author …

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Debunking schizophrenia myths [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 6, 2024
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

In this episode, we welcome Brooke Kempf, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, to debunk common myths about schizophrenia and promote a more accurate understanding of the condition. We’ll explore misconceptions about the …

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How anxiety can be your biggest competitor and ally in achieving success

Conditions
August 6, 2024

Did you ever have a competitor in life who challenged you in every test and every election for a leadership role? If so, today, I would like you to imagine that person and replace them with an emotion that we, as psychiatrists, frequently encounter during our practice – anxiety!

Much like that pushy competition, anxiety can feel overwhelming and challenging. However, it also has the potential to push us to achieve …

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Quiet firing in medicine: my journey from burnout to freedom

Physician
August 1, 2024

As I sit in this dark room in an empty house in solitude, I still wonder how I got here.

I have been the subject of quiet firing that resulted in my mental and social health suffering. It soured my work relationships, consumed my day, made me an angry person to everyone, including my family, and gave me anxiety. It culminated in exactly what the system wanted: me leaving. It was …

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Young lives at risk: the unseen dangers of fentanyl addiction

Conditions
July 27, 2024

When we go charging in blood vessels at breathtaking speed to relieve the blockade that otherwise may bring a sad end to life, we expect to be doing it for the mature and elderly. The stress and strains upon the heart through the journey that is life upend the natural rhythm and flow, with the turbulence churning up clots like butter from milk that flow downstream till the narrowed channels …

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Social media use and physician wellness [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 26, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us in this episode as we explore the challenges of balancing social media and device use with the essential aspects of life. Our guest, Dawn Baker, an anesthesiologist, shares her insights from …

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Time to educate the psychiatric patient

Conditions
July 25, 2024

The initial psychiatric interview of a patient is often a crucial part of the developing relationship between patient and physician. Establishing rapport, reaching a diagnosis, discussing treatment options, and formulating a plan, are the main frameworks of the interview. There remain, however, increasing pressures to reach the final diagnosis, often from patients and caregivers on initial meetings with providers that can lead to rushed or overlooked symptoms. Where, then, does …

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How to support physician wellness during the toughest times

Physician
July 21, 2024

Michael Foti, MD, and Tushar Bhagat, PhD, recently reached out to me, each expressing that we are committed to the same goal: well-being for others, especially physicians. I paired them up for an episode of my YouTube channel, where they poignantly shared their journeys to becoming advocates for physician wellness. Through their work, they are creating synergistic loops of feeling better! Here are their stories:

Michael Foti, MD: 

At a time when …

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Donald Trump’s near-death experience: A journey of potential transformation?

Physician
July 19, 2024

Near-death experiences (NDEs) have fascinated both the medical community and the general public due to their profound and often transformative effects on individuals. These experiences typically occur in situations where a person is close to death or facing a life-threatening condition. Common elements reported during NDEs include feelings of peace, out-of-body experiences, traveling through a tunnel, encountering a bright light, and meeting deceased loved ones or spiritual beings. The aftermath …

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