Hello All,
How many times have you skipped a meal to study? How about skipping a full night of sleep? In the medical world, especially as a Pre-med, we are told that nothing but 110% is good enough. We are told we have to be the best in order to become physicians. I spent my entire first year of college neglecting my mental health in order to strive for my "perfect" self. Yes, I made a 4.0. Yes, I volunteered and shadowed. I did everything by the book, so why was I so unhappy?
This fall, I encountered a battle that I wasn't prepared for. I sank into a deep depression and was hospitalized twice. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This threw a wrench into my perfectly laid plans. I am no longer capable of skipping sleep, and self-care has become my #1 priority. I will choose to eat and sleep instead of study, and this makes me worried about my ability to still become a physician. I wonder if we prioritized self-care in the first place, if physicians wouldn't have such a high suicide rate. Psychiatrists have the highest rate of all-the career that I wanted to pursue. When will we take our own advice and take care of ourselves? I would want a doctor that takes himself as a priority. I hope that we can all take a lesson from my downfall, and see that self-care is more important than anything.
ns.
