Addiction more common among physicians than many people think

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Physicians, and health professionals in general, are reluctant to seek professional help for addiction problems and mental illness. Though many people have gone on to have healthy careers, despite some of these issues, there is still fear of public scrutiny that prevents people from reaching out.  

There’s also concerns about having to make disclosures to regulatory bodies, suffering loss of income  having a license revoked. However, mental illness affects at least 10 to 15 per cent of doctors at some point in their careers and at least this proportion represents those who will suffer from addiction. This represents numbers that are actually greater than in the general population. Therefore, it is a very important issue. 

The problem is compounded because physicians and psychiatrists are unwilling to diagnose mental illness in their colleagues. I have encountered numerous cases of physicians suffering needlessly from mental illness for 10-20 years before a proper (and obvious) diagnosis is made by the medical profession.  

Why do physicians get delayed diagnoses and treatment? It appears that doctors with addiction and mental health issues are an uncomfortable reminder to the rest of us that we are just as human as anyone else. Health professionals suffer from the same afflictions—they are not superhuman. 

I think it would be a good idea for new graduates from medical schools to get a trusted family doctor they can trust to discuss stressful issues early and regularly. Early low-threshold referrals to psychiatrists and psychologists is also proactive solution. Unfortunately, too many psychiatrists practice “turnstile” medicine and have become walking-talking dispensaries.  

It may be better to spend some dollars outside of OHIP and receive professional “talk therapy” from a qualified and compassionate psychologist. Be aware of your rights to confidentiality but also be aware of the limits to these rights. Essentially, your rights to confidentiality will be respected unless you present an imminent danger to yourself or your patients, so confidentiality can be expected in most circumstances. 

The threshold for seeking early psychological treatment should be very low. Indeed it may be wise to seek out professional help for even “minor” stress issues (work stress, family issues, etc.) 

Early intervention with a family doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist is infinitely preferable to first-time crisis management in an emergency room or self-medicating in order to “cope” with problems. 

If we encourage medical students to seek help early, when they need it, this could go a long way to eliminate larger mental health and addiction issues. This type of practice would also help rid the health care community of the stigma attached to these issues among physicians and other health professionals.  

 

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