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THE SURVIVOR
Dr Geoffrey Toogood is a cardiologist in Frankston , Victoria . He is a long-time campaigner for doctors ’ mental health and is a regular speaker at Beyondblue events . On 1 June he launched his own ‘ Odd Socks Day ’ on Twitter , to raise awareness of the issue .
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IT took a minor stroke , causing transient global amnesia , before I could take much-needed leave from work .
However , it wasn ’ t the stroke I needed to recover from ; it was the severe depression I had been experiencing . The truth is , this organic event saved my life .
All this took place back in 2013 , when I was facing major stresses both at work and in my private life .
I had experienced moderate depression a few years before — moderate enough that I could work through it . But this time it was much , much worse .
I was so depressed and so stressed that suicidal thoughts occupied my mind both day and night — but especially at night .
I had written the final note ; clearly I was in serious trouble .
The urgent requirement for me to seek medical help was apparent to some close friends and was starting to reach me .
However , I was scared , in fact very scared about the repercussions for my career … the question I kept asking myself was , ‘ would I work again ?’
What would happen if I sought help ? Would I be reported to AHPRA ?
I was a doctor , highly skilled in my area . What else would I do if I wasn ’ t able to practise my craft ?
What if my colleagues found out about my mental health issues ? Would they report me ? What about my return when recovered ? How would they treat me ?
My fears were delaying me seeking help — the very help I needed to stay alive .
Finally , I confided in some people at work ; I told them I was suicidal . I told them I wanted to take leave . But it was only when the stroke symptoms hit that my leave was approved .
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There ’ s really no better example than this of the way doctors with mental health issues are treated by their colleagues .
Even my own attitudes to mental health were tainted by the culture within medicine , which sees those who suffer such illnesses as less competent than their peers .
These fears delayed me seeking the professional help I needed . Instead I tried self-medicating with natural remedies . In the end I called my GP . She took control and told me what we needed to do so I could start to recover . Following her advice and treatment plan was pivotal . A compassionate doctor will understand exactly what you ’ re experiencing , as an individual and as an industry peer . Her advice and those of other
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health professionals who took on my care were paramount .
They allayed my professional fears , telling me that I needn ’ t be reported as I was taking leave and was not a risk to patients .
I have little doubt now that the outcome could have been far bleaker , even terminally so , if I had been reported .
I really feel for today ’ s doctors , of which I am still one . I think system pressures , such as workloads , have increased since I was more junior .
There are also many challenges that haven ’ t changed , such as the pressure doctors as high achievers put on themselves to perform continuously at the top level .
And ( as I know only too well ) the medical mindset that means doctors see it as a failure to be sick themselves .
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‘ IN THE END I CALLED MY GP . SHE TOOK CONTROL AND TOLD ME WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO .’
This intolerance to taking sick leave — especially for mental illness — is a long and embedded cultural issue that must change .
We need to learn to fit our own oxygen mask first .
When we are ill , we need to be courageous and seek help . And our peers and colleagues need to be courageous and support us .
PHOTO : Skye Brewster
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THE GP
Dr Janette Randall is a GP in Capalaba , Queensland . She is chair of the AMA ’ s Doctors Health Services board and has cared for many doctor-patients with mental health issues .
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WE hear a lot about doctors not being very good at taking care of their own health .
They self-diagnose and treat , have corridor consultations with reluctant colleagues , and generally deny their own health needs for as long as possible . Sound familiar ? But it doesn ’ t have to be like this . While I have treated a number of colleagues over the years , the one I learnt the most from was in fact a great doctor-patient .
We had worked in the same area for a while when she contacted me and asked if I would be her GP .
I ’ d been a GP for about 10 years at that stage , so certainly not
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seasoned — but at least broken in .
It was also the first time a colleague had checked with me first before just booking in . I was a bit nervous , but at the same time felt very privileged to have been asked .
The first couple of years were just the usual preventive health stuff , but then two significant things happened for this doctor-patient .
First , was the onset of an inflammatory joint condition followed by some significant life events , which resulted in an episode of depression .
On both occasions , my doctorpatient arrived with a list of symptoms , a working diagnosis and some thoughts about treatment , but
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wasn ’ t going to action anything until we had talked it through .
My job here was to be a sounding board and to understand my doctorpatient ’ s goals for her treatment .
Due to her high level of health literacy and good understanding of local health networks , I really didn ’ t have much to add from a management perspective , but what I could provide was a safe space to talk about the impact of these health conditions on her work and other aspects of her life .
During the depressive episode , I was also able to help her step away from work for a while and focus on getting better .
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