This week, I’m offering perhaps my most vulnerable post to date. When doctors dare to question the foundations of our profession, we do so at significant risk. When I’ve spoken truth to power in the past, I’ve been threatened with “professionalism violation”, verbally accosted in front of my peers and quietly told to stay in line or else risk my future. Such is life in the hallowed halls of medicine.
But as I’ve gotten more confident speaking up for marginalized people and advocating for patient autonomy, I’ve found the courage to confront many difficult issues in medicine. Especially when it comes to mental health.
In reading “Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses”, I allowed myself to follow the narrative without becoming defensive of my profession. Seeing this experience through the eyes of the patient, I found myself relating to the author’s frustration with the hubris of doctors.
While access to mental healthcare can be life-saving, its fraught with a myriad of challenges;
influence from the pharmaceutical industry
under-qualified professionals; some of whom make diagnoses without even having a license
lack of insurance reimbursement for mental health which limits access to care
non-disclosure or opacity about the significant side effects of psychotropic medications
More troubling (but understandable in the context of the above issues) is the increase in “self-diagnosis” via completely unregulated sources on the internet. Self-diagnosis is especially problematic when patients adopt diagnoses as part of their core identity; essentially giving themselves a life sentence of mental illness that has no pathway to recovery.
My goal in hosting my first Literary Salon on this topic is to spark conversation; not to throw my physician colleagues under the bus. The reality is that physicians suffer higher rates of anxiety, depression, professional burnout and suicide than the general public. So we have more than one horse in this race.
You can purchase “Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses” here and register for my live Literary Salon here. The author, Sarah Fay, has graciously accepted my invitation to attend.
If you have questions for me or the author, feel free to drop them in the chat or shoot me a DM. I look forward to an engaging conversation on this timely and relevant topic.
I’ve been hard at work generating new content for the Under the White Coat community plus some extra-special features for paid subscribers.
Feature Interviews: Are you an author or clinician who writes about medicine, parenting, women’s health, sobriety, relationships or human sexuality? Want to collaborate with me on a Literary Salon? Please send me a DM! I’d love to chat!
Literary Salon: Join me on Saturday, August 31 at 4pm EST/1pm PST to discuss Pathological. You don’t have to read the book to join the conversation but I highly recommend that you do. You can purchase the book here and register for the Zoom call here. I look forward to a thoughtful discussion!
Medical Education Videos: As a Bonus feature for paid subscribers, I’ll be launching twice monthly videos about anatomy and clinical medicine. August will feature Dr. Kelsey Daniels, a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) specializing in postpartum pelvic floor recovery. I’m also working on an Anatomy 101 video featuring Male Pelvic Floor Anatomy. This will be similar in scope and teaching to my Female Anatomy 101 video and will cover both erectile dysfunction (ED) and prostate health. This is valuable content you won’t find anywhere else.
Terms of Endearment: An evolving glossary of terms used to describe Human Sexuality, relationship preferences and kink modalities.
All content is 100% organic and generated without the use of AI!
If you have a question or a term you’d like me to define, drop it in the comments or shoot me a DM.
Is this Pathological?