Suicides among doctors is very high and almost no one has actually bothered to find out why.

Lovely article by Pamela Wible in the Washington Post.

Why So Many Doctors Kill Themselves:

https://swirlster.ndtv.com/wellness-mother/why-so-many-doctors-kill-themselves-1800081?type=news&id=1800081&category=Wellness%26Mother

Why So Many Doctors Kill Themselves

One million Americans lose their doctors to suicide each year

I will post some excerpts which I found poignant and will add my thoughts too

Guilt, bullying, exhaustion are big factors

*this includes from superiors as well as from management, patients and their families.

Many doctors have lost a colleague to suicide. Some have lost up to eight during their career with no opportunity to grieve.

*I myself have lost 2 colleagues.

Suicide methods vary by region and gender.

*one of my colleagues hung himself and one overdosed.

More men then women.

*society expects certain behaviour from men and certain behaviour from women. This adds to the pressure. There is no outlet for emotions. We suck it up bottle it in and move on to the next patient. This is especially true in Emergency Medicine

Male anesthesiologists are at highest risk.

*every one from the surgeon to the family love to blame the anaesthesia if anything goes wrong with the patient. Any anesthesiologist out there will agree with me on this.

Lots of doctors kill themselves in hospitals.

*most of us spend upwards of 50 to 80 hours a week and more in the hospital. Most of us have no home or social lives to speak of.

Physicians often choose to die in a place where they've been emotionally invested and wounded.

*when I go home i never take my work with me. But there have been days I've never seen my wife because of our work hours not syncing. By the time i come home after night shift she has already left for her morning shift, and the reverse happens in the evenings. Only the kept/unkept bed proof of two people living there. She doesn't work in healthcare by the way.

"Happy" Doctors also die by suicide. Many doctors who die by suicide appear as the happiest most well adjusted people on the outside.

*there have been many days I go home quietly and just go straight to bed. My loving missus knows me well to let me be and give me space

Doctors are masters of disguise. Even fun-loving docs who crack jokes and male patients smile all day may be suffering in silence.

*our smiles hide a lot of hurt. Please keep that in mind the next time you want to tell and abuse a doctor.

Patient deaths hurt doctors. A lot. Even when there's no medical error doctors may never forgive themselves for losing a patient

*I rememeber the face of every patient I lost and their loved ones when I broke the news of death to them.

Malpractice suits can be devastating. Humans make mistakes. Yet when doctors make mistakes they're publicly shamed in court, on TV and in newspapers (that live online forever)

*People are happy to forward any incident on social media without bothering to find out the truth.

Academic distress kills medical students dreams. Failing medical board exams and not getting a post medical school assignment in a speciality of choice has led to suicides.

*one of my colleagues killed himself after he failed an exam.

@just1doctorwala everything you have said in this very honest thread points to the importance of recognising the need for good mental health. Not just physical health.
@ranjona @just1doctorwala For a billion plus population we have around 1 lakh metal health doctors.
@Vishsai @ranjona i think it is less but yes that is the major problem