Physician Heal Thyself
Did Shakespeare say it first or is it a version of Luke 4:23’s “Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum”? (Or, more formally, as it appears in the King James translation of the New Testament “whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country”)?
It doesn’t sound much like actually treating your own illnesses to me, but that’s what it has come to mean. Unfortunately many doctors do feel the need to manage their own health (or more often not manage it) in the absence of other professional advice. It’s as though they see it as a personal and professional failure to have to ask for help.
So, is there a place for self-care?
In many ways doctors are no different from other humans. The have childhoods (sometimes traumatic), parents (sometimes not such good ones), personalities (often vulnerable ones) and very stressful lives. They also experience a lot of pressure to be superhuman.
All this suggests that they might need to take more care of themselves rather than less.
Medical students and young doctors are now being actively encouraged by their training institutions to get themselves a GP, have regular health checks and visit their GP when things go wrong rather than treat themselves. This is good. But doctors, young and old, also need to take care of their psychological wellbeing, preferably in advance of things going wrong in their lives.
Along with maintaining work life balance through sport, creativity and taking enough time away from work, doctors need to learn strategies to actively manage their own mental health and there is a clear place for online mental wellbeing/treatment programs to help them do this.
Want to manage your alcohol intake better? Go to OnTrack for some help.
Want to learn some mindfulness techniques or relaxation? Try the Smiling Mind app, the relevant modules in myCompass or invest in the THIS WAY UP Mindfulness Based CBT Course
Want something to help you manage your worry and the daily ups and downs in your mood? Have a look at the Reach Out “Worry Time” app, the Virtual Hope Box app or, if you like listening to music on your phone try the excellent mood management app called Music Escape.
Feeling overwhelmed and low? Have a look at the depression courses from THIS WAY UP, e-couch or Mental Health Online.
Think you might need to track your mood to see if you really need help or if what you are doing is working? Try the mood tracking facility on myCompass or the one that comes with the THIS WAY UP apps for mobile devices.
But before you do any of this make sure you talk to a professional if things are really getting on top of you. You could try calling the telephone help line at the Doctors Health Advisory Service. It’s a good place to start.
Gerhard is a full professor of Clinical Psychology at Linköping University, Sweden since 2003, an
d affiliated researcher at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Professor Andersson is an internationally recognized researcher in the field of CBT delivered through information and communication technology, as well as the author of the book “The Internet and CBT: a clinical guide”.
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