A Poem about Recovery Burnt-out but not Washed-up For many years I did believe Medicine, was all I could achieve So when required to take ‘shore leave’ I found myself begin to grieve My fragile self-esteem was blown Denied self-worth, I felt alone Adrift beyond my comfort zone A future in a world unknown Ashamed … Continue reading Burnt-out but not Washed-up
Tag: burnout
When I was first writing about preventing burnout, I did not feel that I could add much personal value. I bypassed the prevention stage completely. I headed straight to having to think about recovering from burnout. If I had recognised where my escalating stress would have led me, if I had appreciated how unwell I … Continue reading Preventing burnout – what I would do differently knowing what I know now
A post by another GP who wishes to remain anonymous: A Gay friend once described to me his experience of ‘coming out ‘ to his parents. His mum’s first response “What will everyone say at church?” He was in his late twenties and had kept the truth about his sexuality from his family since his … Continue reading Coming Out
There is increasing recognition of a link between empathy and burnout. I became interested in this after listening to Dr Dan Siegel, a renowned psychiatrist, talking on the difference between empathy and compassion and the concept of empathic burnout. Perhaps rather naively, I had never really sat down and though about the distinction between the two … Continue reading Empathic burnout
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. This is her first. "For years I kept silent, afraid of the consequences of admitting how hard I found being a GP. When I eventually “burnt-out”, I … Continue reading A poem about burnout
Recognise. Prevent. Recover. 