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33-Preventing burnout
– manage stress efficiently
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"If you had
to define stress, it would not be far off if you
said it was the process of living. The process of
living is the process of having stress imposed on
you and reacting to it."
- Stanley J. Sarnoff. |
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Doctors are used to stress. Wounds get infected, complications
occur and patients die. Medicine has always been a stressful
profession, and doctors have always had to deal with making
life and death decisions , delivering bad news, working long
hours, managing with little pay , and coping with heavy work
loads and bad working conditions. However, in the past, the
doctor’s social status, prestige and income compensated
for their stress. Today, the struggle to attract patients;
the rampant prevalence of unethical malpractises in our profession;
shrinking incomes ; declining social status ; and the threat
of malpractise suits and legal action have brought many physicians
to the brink of burnout. In the US, physician suicide rates
are three times that of the general population; “burnout
“ is becoming increasingly common; and ten percent of
physicians will develop a drug addiction during their lifetimes.
The figures in India may be even worse, but since we continue
to take an ostrich in the sand attitude, we are blissfully
unaware of what the facts are.
Some of the most obvious stressors are the demands associated
with practicing medicine today. Everyone wants to practise
in the cities, where the prestige and glamour is, with the
result that competition for patients is intense, and most
doctors in private practise have to struggle to survive. The
unbiquitous cell phone ensures that doctors are “on
call “ all the time – they have no time for themselves
! With the introduction of managed care, patient empowerment
and the inclusion of doctors under the consumer protection
act, this situation is likely to become even worse. Doctors
are finding that they have to answer to many masters –
hospital trustees, patients, courts, third party payors –
and it’s hard to keep so many people happy ! Also, doctors,
like everyone else in today’s society which is powered
by advertising and marketing pressures to consume more, want
to earn more , buy more, and spend more – and keeping
up with the Patels and Shahs is hard work !
Fulfilling family and personal responsibilities can create
another set of stressors . Doctor’s children often resent
the amount of time the parent has to spend away from them
– and missing school plays or turning up late for family
functions is the norm for most doctors. Spouses try to be
understanding, but it can be hard for them to deal with an
“absentee husband” or midnight calls and unscheduled
emergencies.
Professional boredom can be an additional source of stress.
After a few years of practice, when they start getting very
busy, many doctors find themselves getting fed up of seeing
patients with the same problems day in and day out. They find
they are in a rut, and long for new challenges. Ironically,
they find that as they become more established in practice,
they have a long line of patients who are waiting to see them
– and they cannot cope with this demand, because they
only have 24 hours in a day. They try to work harder and harder
to try to keep up, but often find that they can never catch
up.
Finally, an extremely important source of stress is internal.
Most doctors have personality traits which make them much
more prone to burnout. They are often perfectionists, who
because of their self-image and training, need to do everything
themselves, and find it difficult to ask for help or support.
Also, in order to live up to the superhuman image which patients
demand of them, they often act as if they are infallible –
an impossible task which soon takes its toll.
Unfortunately, doctors are better at taking care of their
patients than of themselves, and while doctors are quick to
advise their busy executive patients to “take life easy”,
they have not been good at dealing with the stress in their
own lives. While stress is a fact of life, remember that there
are two types of stress: eustress and distress. Eustress,
or positive stress, occurs when you control your stress. Distress,
or negative stress, occurs when your stress controls you.
Doctors who find themselves experiencing continuous job-related
stress could be headed for "burnout," the popular
term used to characterize loss of physical, emotional and
mental energy. If ignored or denied, the consequences can
be serious - not only for the doctor, but also for his family,
patients and colleagues. The symptoms of burnout are as varied
as the sufferers. Some doctors become angry, blowing up at
anyone who crosses their path - including nurses, patients
family members and other physicians. Some become quiet, introverted
and isolated, which can indicate the start of a serious depression.
Others manifest burnout by under- or overeating , abusing
alcohol or other drugs and using mood-altering substances.
Some doctors work more because it's the only thing they know
how to do - they feel that doing more for their patients helps
their patients, so they think it will help them, too. Others
become chronically late or psychologically absent. Burntout
physicians become impaired physicians. Doctors who drink too
much, work too hard, take illicit drugs, become depressed,
get ill (the list of "impairments" because of burnout
goes on and on) and do not do anything about it , are not
only harmful to themselves, but also harmful to others. Missing
a diagnosis or mismanaging a patient because a physician is
too stressed adds to the physician's sense of incompetence
and lack of control – and a stressed-out physician is
a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Unfortunately, doctors are not very good at recognizing the
symptoms of burnout in themselves and the problems are multiplied
when they are so impaired that they refuse to acknowledge
they have a problem. It is sad but true that while it is easy
to recognise problems in other people it is much harder to
recognise them in ourselves - and hardest of all to do something
about them. While family and friends are often the first to
notice the warning signals , most are not sure how to help
– after all, doctors are the ones who help others, aren’t
they ? How can they need help themselves ? Colleagues , because
of professional pride, enter the conspiracy of silence and
try to “help” their impaired friend by covering
up for him – but end up just making the problem even
worse. The burnt out physician can find it difficult to ask
for help – and is often trapped and isolated. If you
feel your colleague is getting burnt out, make sure he seeks
help. Getting help does not mean he is a "bad" doctor
it will just make him a better one.
The best defense
Since prevention is better than cure, how can you avoid burnout
? Stress is inevitable , but the good news is that you can
learn to manage it. Most of these stress-reduction tips are
applied common sense , but you need to have a plan of action
in order to implement them.
Learn to take care of yourself. Doctors are
good at taking care of everybody but themselves. Doing something
good for oneself is a difficult concept for doctors to accept,
and many feel that somehow they're failing as doctors if they
want to take time out and be good to themselves. The medical
profession is up on a pedestal – and the work ethic
is so strong, that many doctors feel they are expected to
sacrifice their life ( and their whole family's life ) for
their profession . Many perversely take pride in the time
they devote to their patients to the exclusion of all else.
So what should you do? For starters, practice what you preach
-- eat right, get sufficient rest and exercise routinely.
Pay more attention to your body's signals of stress. Learn
to pinpoint the sources of stress and practice stress-reducing
strategies, such as yoga, progressive relaxation techniques,
breathing exercises and meditation.
Balance your life on a priority basis. One
of the best ways to arm yourself against burnout is to have
a rich, fulfilling life outside the clinic. Don’t let
medicine become both your wife and mistress - look for satisfaction
away from work. Achieving balance can be a process that takes
considerable time and effort. Just like you cannot get fit
by going on a diet and frantically exercising for a month,
you have to make life-long decisions about how you will spend
your time. You need to learn what to say “No”
to – and feel good about your answers. Since it is difficult
to strike such a balance alone, many physicians benefit from
having a mentor or coach to provide insight and inspiration.
A wise and understanding spouse can be a bedrock of support
in this endeavour.
Learn to cut back on the routine work. If
you find you are getting bored of doing the same procedures
day in and day out, re-think your professional goals. After
all, taking out the 500th appendix can get to be very monotonous
( unless it belongs to the Chief Minister !) You can choose
to reduce your work load, or accept only patients who have
complex problems which challenge you. While many doctors are
reluctant to turn patients away, because they are scared that
a reduced work-load will translate into a reduced income,
the fact is that if you refuse to do work you don’t
like, you will find yourself attracting the work you do like
– and this will actually improve your efficiency –
and your bottomline as well !
Develop a strong support system. Doctors
have a hard time reaching out for help because they do not
like to feel they cannot cope with their own problems. Support
from other doctors ( who have “been there, done that”
and can empathise with what you are going through) is extremely
helpful. Physician peer support groups, where a group of colleagues
meet on a regular basis and develop the security to share
feelings and concerns (about patients, work, family problems,
or anything else) , can greatly reduce a sense of isolation
and enhance a sense of wellbeing.
There are many do's and don'ts, and most are easier said than
done. However, you can change your work habits if you resolve
to do so.
DO'S:
Doctors who enjoy their work and find meaning in it, have
high self-esteem – one of the best buffers against burnout
! When you work, work hard. But also learn to work smart,
delegate and manage your time well, so you find time to play
as well ! Remember, “ All work and no play makes Dr
Jack a dull man ” !
Learn to rest. Keep your evenings and weekends free to recharge
your batteries. Allow yourself to take time for your own personal
self care. After all, how can we help others if we can't help
ourselves?
Get regular exercise. Spend money by joining a gym or hiring
a personal trainer- this will ensure that you actually do
work out. Even if you go twice a week, you'll feel mellower
and more energetic. Hike, play tennis, or engage in other
physical activities that give you pleasure.
Learn to practice voluntary simplicity. The secret of contentment
is in wanting what you have, not in having what you want.
Release yourself from unrealistic expectations. It's not true
that the harder you work, the better your work. Remember that
if you are good to yourself, you will end up being better
to your patients !
Develop your hobbies and interests. Painting, collecting,
or anything you always wanted to do but never got around to
are all good starts.
DON'T'S:
Don't let petty annoyances sap your energy - "don't sweat
the small stuff" .
Don't try to do "everything." Understand your limits
and don’t try to perform all procedures. Don’t
try to treat medical problems which are beyond your competence
– learn to refer or call for a consultant
Don’t run around from clinic to clinic, hospital to
hospital and spend half your life commuting – this is
a waste of your energy and productivity. It’s far better
to find a niche and focus on this, and then allow your patients
to come to you rather than go hunting for them !
Life is short and the practice of medicine is getting more
stressful. You can only do yourself and your patients a favor
if you balance your life and prevent the scars of "battle"
from wounding you permanently. However, even burnout can be
a gift, and as Hemingway said, “We get stronger in all
the broken places.” If we learn to take time to enhance
our relationship with ourselves, family and friends, even
burnt out physicians can renew themselves, making themselves
better doctors – and better human beings.
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