This poem and its introduction have been written by a doctor who found poetry the best way to share her experiences. She has written a series of poems on burnout, what I won't be missing this festive period, burnt out but not washed up, Mount Backlog, Coming out and Experiential Practice. Please do take a look … Continue reading Rumination poem
Category: anxiety / depression
Have you ever been stuck in a swirl of negative thoughts, rehashing things that you should or shouldn’t have said or done? Most of us will recognise this circular self-battering, a process known as rumination. Rumination or “chewing the cud”, refers to the way that certain animals, like cows, eat, storing their partially-digested food in … Continue reading Breaking the rumination trap
by Dr Sarah Yates Medicine is stressful, there’s no getting past that. Each day we juggle complex emotions (our own and our patient’s); make snap second decisions that are potentially the difference between life and death, suffering and healing; a life weighed down by trauma and guilt, or a way forward to hope. We have … Continue reading Medicine is Stressful
Many of us will have experienced a time of emotional crisis. It could follow a break-up of a relationship, a bereavement, a traumatic event, financial worries or an adjustment to a big change. We might feel inadequate, a failure, ashamed, angry, agitated, shocked or numb. These feelings may resolve with time, but they might instead … Continue reading Staying Safe
Many of us enter medical school having been top of our year group, or at least in the top few. Some of us may never have failed an exam. We start medical school, discover that we are no longer so unique, and find ourselves amongst student peers equally intelligent and high-achieving. I remember being totally … Continue reading Fear of failure. My story
“Control the controllables” is what an ex-professional rugby player friend told me when I confessed to feeling anxious. I was reminded of this recently when listening to Patrick McKeown. He talked about a famous Irish rugby player who would get really anxious and lose sleep before a big match, despite many years experience. So what … Continue reading Anxiety: 8 keys things that have helped me
I rediscovered this blog that I wrote a while ago when considering whether or not to return to clinical medicine. I thought it worth posting as I have now returned to clinical practice. In a very small way, but this is something that I never thought I would ever do......This was the start of me … Continue reading Medicine – should I stay or should I go?
Recognise. Prevent. Recover. 