| GP's |
| Doctors may find it difficult to deal with personal health problems and not have time to think about their own wellbeing in a pro-active way. Being a knowledgeable patient is not easy!. Our working environment has little slack to permit proper illness and recovery. As a result Doctors may struggle on for too long when early intervention would have been preferable. Working colleagues are not always sympathetic and may have little understanding of what it is like to be functioning below par. This often has a very negative effect. We hope to encourage a more understanding environment where sick or struggling doctors can be treated well and their illness given the same priority as that which we would like to give our own patients and family. We
hope this service will meet the need of GP colleagues who have health
problems and to encourage all doctors to think 'prevention'
and look after themselves. We guarantee privacy, confidentiality and
independence. |
GP's and mental health problems Mental health problems seem to particularly concern us. This is something that we find very difficult to admit to ourselves. It seems that doctors share all the worries and prejudices of their patients when it comes to acknowledging and getting help for mental health problems. Concerns about confidentiality, job prospects and fears of rejection by or being regarded unfavourably by colleagues are commonplace. Mistakenly we diagnose and treat ourselves rather than trusting anyone with the responsibility of helping us. Remember that stress can produce some pretty weird psychological changes and your fears about a serious mental illness may be unfounded. In any event, just as in physical illness, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of all forms of mental illness can stop things getting worse and over time, and with a bit of help you will definitely recover. GP-Health is particularly keen to assist any colleague who fears they be becoming mentally ill or knows themselves to be abusing alcohol or drugs If you think you have a mental health problem or are just simply stressed out, there are several ways to get help
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