Introduction
The increased spotlight on physician burnout has also shone a light on the issue of doctors committing suicide. With the highest suicide rate of any profession, one could assume that physicians also comprise a large majority of professionals seeking mental health counseling.
However, a recent article by Dr Pamela Wible, republished on Medscape, highlighted two major byproducts of physicians seeking that assistance: shame and guilt. As detailed in that article, Dr Benjamin Shaffer was ashamed of needing time away from work to deal with his anxiety disorder and also feared losing his patients, practice, and much more if others found out about his private struggle. He ultimately committed suicide.
Physicians often fear that their receiving mental health care will result in that information making its way to state medical boards or supervisors. The result, as Wible notes, is physicians driving out of town, paying in cash, and using false names in paper charts to hide their much-needed treatment.
The article inspired hundreds of comments, mainly addressing the factors of shame and guilt that physicians face when seeking help, as well as the treatment that Shaffer received before his suicide.
The Added Burden of Shame and Guilt
Many sympathized with Shaffer, noting the added struggle of shame and guilt while trying to address his ongoing anxiety.
