Stress and burnout should never be ignored
Every day it seems we learn of another suicide. Given that every 40 seconds someone in the world takes their own life, it's not surprising our news feeds – however you get them – are full of bad news. Recently reading about a Brisbane gastroenterologist and father-of-four committing suicide shows what we have known for a long time: It can strike from the shadows at any time and at anyone.
In my experience, there are a number of reasons people commit suicide. Mental illness, depression and burnout can all affect the brain's electrical circuits, which can result in making irrational decisions. An Antarctic storm rages in your head and you can never imagine the sun shining again. But the sun can come out again – if you seek help, get treatment and treat the causes.
One of the main causes can be an excessive workload and a lack of sleep. In my view, other causes of suicide include the loss of a relationship, a business, health and, sometimes, social status.
The wife of the Brisbane doctor wrote an open email stating that she didn't want his suicide to be a secret. The family photos of him with his four children made you feel some of their pain and horror.
Despite the fact both his parents were psychiatrists, he was surrounded by doctors (and was a doctor himself), he still took his own life. His wife writes, although no one had seen it coming, they knew he had been working a lot. She described a very rough weekend of call-outs, and how he had missed his son's birthday party. From reading the article, it suggests the doctor was extremely burnt out and had some financial problems at his practice.
Burnout is when the brain becomes so exhausted, the mind can't take it anymore. You can lose faith in yourself, and everything can become a lot harder. It's the feeling you get when you have no time to do the things you enjoy, feel constantly under pressure, and do not even have the time to properly rest. Self-doubt can rage like an Antarctic storm and is just as frightening if you have never experienced either.
Doctors and vets have alarmingly high suicide rates, for a number of reasons. Being up constantly in the middle of the night, being so emotionally involved with patients and their lives and death, then having to run a business during the day with financial pressures all take their toll.
The mantra that we need to look after ourselves before we can look after others, has never been truer. We all need help when depression and burnout strike from the shadows. They are just as fatal as heart attacks and cancer, but just as treatable if you have the tools and support to do so.
What seems insurmountable in the dead of night can be solved. There are no problems, only solutions. Accountants can help with the finances; psychologists and doctors with the mind and the brain. Family and friends can offer the reassurance and support needed to navigate through the storm.
Like any storm, it will pass – the wind will drop and the sun will shine again. People can't help if you don't tell them. The first step is to ask for help. We would all rather help than read about another tragic case that could have been prevented and the ongoing hurt it can cause.
Written by Dr Tom Mulholland. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
Image: Getty