William Lynes, MD, had a flourishing medical practice and a fulfilling family life with three children when he first attempted suicide in 1999 at age 45. By 2003, depression and two more suicide attempts led to his early retirement.
In a session at the recent virtual American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2021 Annual Meeting, Lynes talked about the challenges of dealing with depression while managing the stresses of a career in medicine. The session in which he spoke was called, "The Suicidal Physician: Narratives From a Physician Who Survived and the Physician Widow of One Who Did Not."
By writing and speaking about his experiences, he says, he has been able to retain his identity as a physician and avoid obsessive thoughts about suicide. He hopes conversations like these help other physicians feel less alone and enable them to push past stigma to get the help they need. He suspects they do. More than 600 people joined the APA session, and Lynes received dozens of thankful messages afterward.
"I love medicine, but intrinsically, the practice of medicine is stressful, and you can't get away," says Lynes, a retired urologist in Temecula, California. "As far as feedback, it made me feel like it's something I should continue to do."
