Tag:

psychiatrist

The Columbia Conference on Mental Health Journalism & Media

I was truly honored to participate as a panelist at this groundbreaking conference held by the Columbia Journalism School and Columbia’s Department of Psychiatry. Being on a panel with an amazing group of innovative journalists and mental health clinicians has been one of the most memorable experiences of my career, and participating in a conference filled with so many inspiring leaders in media gives me much hope that the real life experiences and mental health struggles that many of us go through will be more accurately portrayed in the media, and ultimately shape the way the public perceives mental health for the better.

The panel I participated in was titled “Innovative Mental Health Journalism & Media” and you can view the recording here in the video below! Also, if you want to view the conference live stream in its entirety, you can watch it here.

February 14, 2019 0 comment

Psychiatry

Learn About Your Mental Health in 2 Quick Videos

written by admin

{with Dr. Kien Vuu}

One of the reasons I started blogging was to connect with like-minded individuals who were passionate about promoting mental health and ridding of the stigma associated with it. I was happy to connect with Dr. Kien Vuu, an interventional radiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA. Dr. Vuu has made it his mission to empower others to take control of their health through an integrative and holistic approach. Check out his website here to see how he actively engages with the public through his YouTube channel, media, The Live Again Project (nonprofit organization he founded to provide support for those affected by cancer), and other projects. And be sure to check out our two video collaborations below for some quick education (with a dose of humor) about mental health & psychiatry!

April 24, 2018 0 comment

Personal

Explore

written by freudandfashion

{Bubblegum Alley, San Luis Obispo, California}

I know that the end of year 2015 is fast approaching, but I’m declaring a resolution for the remaining months: to be spontaneous and feel free to explore. The restrictive years of medical education, training, and work, can be so draining. Some of you may know that I work in clinic part-time (a career decision that I will explain in a future post), however, the majority of the time, I utilize my days off to recover from work. Though I take absolute pride in my work as a psychiatrist, my profession is only a part of my identity and I refuse to let it dominate my life. I’d much rather spend my time exploring new places, trying new activities, and doing whatever I can to make up for lost time spent with my head buried in books and research articles. So, if you ever see me outside of clinic, please don’t call me “Doctor” (unless you don’t know what else to call me, or by chance are a patient of mine). My name is Vania, and I enjoy spending time outdoors, trying a variety of sports activities, poking fun at myself while educating followers on Snapchat, getting carded at any alcohol-serving establishment, and I find beauty in even the ickiest of things (like a gum wall…how cool is that?!).

Have an exploratory weekend!

August 15, 2015 21 comments

Psychiatry

Psychiatry Specialty of Choice

written by freudandfashion

{Miami Beach, Florida}

Though I graduated from psychiatry residency three years ago and am fully employed, I continue to receive email notifications and phone calls about Psychiatrist job openings on a daily basis. Though I typically get annoyed by the regular phone calls and messages, a part of me feels thankful that I have a lucrative career in such high demand with job openings readily available if needed, however, a part of me also can’t help but question why there’s such a shortage in psychiatrists to fill the positions. I wrote a previous post on reasons why Psychiatry is an amazing specialty to choose, but if any current premed or medical students have any questions/concerns about the field of Psychiatry, I’d love to connect with you and answer any questions you may have. The field of Psychiatry is extremely rewarding and I’d do anything I could to promote it because there’s so many people in need of psychiatric services.

Thought of the Day: TO ALL PREMED, FUTURE DOCTORS, & MEDICAL STUDENTS — Is Psychiatry on your radar as a possible specialty? And if not, would love to hear the reason why as well! Comment below or email me at freudandfashion@gmail.com.

June 11, 2015 10 comments

Personal

Reset, Recharge

written by freudandfashion

{Miami Beach, Florida}

I talk A LOT about mental health (in case you haven’t noticed), so I’ve appreciated the opportunity to put psychiatry-related thoughts aside for the last week while on vacation. And I haven’t psychoanalyzed one thing while in Florida, which is a record for me! I recognize how burned out I was getting, especially since I slept a whole lot during my first few days of vacation. In the past, I probably would’ve felt guilty about saying I was tired of talking about mental health, but sometimes taking a break from your interests and passions makes you appreciate them even more. I intend on using my final days of vacation to soak up more sun, take a boat ride along the bay, shop, enjoy delicious Cuban dishes, and anticipate feeling fully recharged by the time I return to work next week. Hope you have a relaxing weekend!

Beautiful lanterns at the Shore Club

June 6, 2015 10 comments

Psychiatry

Contemplating Psychiatry?

written by freudandfashion

As the 3rd year of medical school approaches, medical students typically narrow down their specialties of choice, and if unsure, feel rather overwhelmed since the decision practically solidifies their field of practice for the rest of their careers (though yes, it is possible to switch specialties during training). Did I know at birth that I wanted to become a psychiatrist? Absolutely not. I went through my first two years of medical school wondering when the light bulb in my head would go off as to which specialty I was destined to go into. Then, it finally hit me — I’m meant to become a cardiologist! Well, that idea was short-lived once I became aware of the required six years of training after medical school (much respect to the cardiologists out there). Fortunately, I discovered Psychiatry, which is the one specialty where I actually felt motivated to go above and beyond to learn more and felt passionate about!

If Psychiatry is listed among your options, then the following are reasons I believe Psychiatry is an amazing specialty to choose:

Psychiatrists are in high demand. There will truly never be enough psychiatrists to meet the current and growing needs, which means more job opportunities and lucrative possibilities to create your own practice.
Psychiatrists in the United States make a mean annual income of $182,700 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). Sure, Medscape notes this number ranks at the bottom third compared to the annual income of other specialties, but if lifestyle and job satisfaction are factored in, the ranking can be considered insignificant (see next bullet point). In Australia, psychiatry is found to be one of the best financially rewarding careers.
Lifestyle can be catered to your preference. I currently work part-time and know several psychiatrists working part-time who feel content with their flexible schedules. One of my friends practices telepsychiatry in the comfort of her own home, which has been perfect for raising her growing family.
Establish your niche or dabble in different areas. Several psychiatrists have their own solo practice, yet are able to divide their time into percentages working with other health organizations, academia/teaching, treatment centers, etc. And when establishing your own niche, your expertise working with specific populations can be highly sought after (for example, I was mentored by various specialists including a bipolar disorder specialist, sports psychiatrist, developmental disabilities specialist, psychoanalytic psychiatrist…the list goes on). I’m still trying to establish my own niche (I have way too many interests)!
There are multiple subspecialties (including child/adolescent, geriatric, consultation/liaison, sports, forensic, pain management).
If having a private practice is the goal, then the cost for equipment is minimal compared to other specialties (after all, the main instrument needed to practice is yourself).
Many opportunities exist for research, especially since there is much left to be learned about the brain.
Multiple settings exist for work: outpatient, inpatient, ER psych, community mental health, academia, college/university/student health, Veterans Administration, residential treatment centers, subacute treatment centers, drug detox and rehabilitation centers, consultation, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model, telepsychiatry, correctional system, etc.
If your goal is to have an extended career, most psychiatrists continue to work until late in life with only 18% retiring before age 65.
And residency training is only four years!

If you have any other questions or comments about the field, then feel free to post in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you especially since I remember what it was like to reach such a pivotal point in my education/career.

Photo by Marlon Santos

April 8, 2015 15 comments

Psychiatry

Loss Hurts

written by freudandfashion

{Serra Cross Park, Ventura, CA}

Every bit of me is fighting not to lay on the couch and immerse myself in reality tv to distract from experiencing the emotional distress of a recent loss. Doctors grieve the loss of patients. I have grieved. Unfortunately, the grief process is all too familiar in my line of work. In fact, tears stream down my face as I type this because I know I have to acknowledge my grief rather than having shock, anger, sadness, and a whole mixture of emotions take control of me. After receiving a call from the coroner’s office earlier that day, I drove home dazed and missed the entrance to my voter polling place…three times. And I almost got in an accident.

The worst part is knowing that suicide happens too often. The second worst part is a combination of feeling horrified, sorrow for my patient’s family, and disbelief (what did i miss? what did i do wrong?), wondering if there’s anything I could have done to prevent it. But worst of all is to think of the depths of severe, emotional pain that my patient must have experienced to reach that point — no words can describe, and nobody can empathize with my patient’s despair unless they’ve been to a similar dark place before, or know someone who has.

Which is perhaps one of the reasons why there are barriers to change the perception of mental illness — do we distance ourselves so much from those diagnosed with mental illness that we can not acknowledge, empathize, or even begin to understand that suicidal thoughts are symptoms of a true, neurologic disease? Or will society continue to turn a blind eye by continuing to believe that suicidal thoughts are feigned, a product of a hopeless mind, or a sign of weakness?

I can vividly recall the first time I lost a patient on the medical floor as an intern during my internal medicine rotation. Cause = Septic Shock. “Here’s where things went wrong and could have been prevented,” said an Attending physician when the case was reviewed. I wanted to quit my medical career that very moment. This time around, there is no Attending physician telling me what I did wrong — the voice is my own. The voice is always there, and I want to quit. I want to isolate and lay on my couch the entire day, but I can’t. I want to cry when I’m in clinic each time my coworkers kindly ask “how are you?” but I hold back the tears. I wish I could redo the last session with my patient, but instead, specific moments from our final conversation replay in my mind. It’s not until now, as I type, that I remember my patient’s last words to me as she gave me a hug on the way out. Touching words I will never forget and reinforce why I need to keep going.

November 6, 2014 16 comments

Psychiatry therapy

Are you ready?

written by freudandfashion

The Great Sand Dune, Point Mugu

I may prescribe psychiatric medications, but the one treatment I advocate for the most is psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy = general term for talk therapy, counseling; meeting with a mental health clinician for support, insight, and development of coping skills for life challenges.

Patients often ask me whether or not I think they should see a therapist. My general answer: “I think everyone can benefit from therapy. I think therapy will help you for (insert reason I believe patient will benefit from psychotherapy here based on my formulation of his/her issues).” However, despite my recommendation of therapy, the more important question is: “Are YOU ready for therapy?”

Here’s a few reasons why I believe this question is so important:

– Therapy can be challenging. As humans, we develop defenses to help prevent us from feeling the full extent of deep, emotional pain. Therapy may lower your defenses, which allows you to experience and process painful emotions in a safe environment. The well-known phrase “no pain, no gain” applies to therapy as well. With pain = growth and healing.

– Talking about yourself can be uncomfortable. You might feel like you’re being judged, which is especially difficult. And if you’re one who loves talking about yourself, perhaps talking about yourself (and not acknowledging others) may be the reason for your problems (a good therapist should be able to point this out).

– You can never predict what might come up in therapy, so being open to the process can lead to development of great insights. There might be times when you want to stop therapy or may question if it’s even helping. Being open to processing your resistance may lead to great insights as well (i.e. any material that comes up in therapy may have meaning and be subject to processing during session).

I write this post not only as a clinician, but also as one who has experienced all I mentioned above in my own therapy process. Even as a psychiatry resident physician, I resisted starting therapy because I feared what I might learn about myself. I grieved the loss of my grandfather, struggled to adapt to my move to Oregon for residency, and felt depressed because I wasn’t performing as well academically, and various other reasons. In effort to avoid therapy, I first turned to exercise, shopping therapy (not the best on your credit card), and talked to friends, which helped temporarily but didn’t help me learn to better cope with my issues. I eventually gave in, faced my fears, and as a result I’m much more self-aware, insightful, and comfortable with myself as a person. I’m also a much better psychiatrist to my patients (nothing makes you more empathetic towards your patients than putting yourself in their shoes and sitting in the patient’s chair).

P.S. Not all therapists are the same. If you don’t have a connection with your therapist, don’t give up on finding the right one! (stay tuned for a future post on how to find the right therapist)

September 25, 2014 4 comments

Psychiatry therapy

Stay or Leave?

written by freudandfashion

Office Balcony Sunset

I recently made a difficult decision regarding my job, which triggered feelings of uncertainty, fear, and self-doubt. In the process of contemplating my decision, I recalled one of my patients, a college student who struggled with depression. Despite going to a prestigious university, his overwhelming fear of not getting accepted into law school further exacerbated his depressive symptoms. I responded with seemingly consoling statements such as “you’re still young…you’ll get there…you have a lot going for you…I went through the same situation and it worked out okay.” However, my attempts to reassure really weren’t reassuring at all (it’s well known in psychiatry that reassurance generally doesn’t reassure mostly because the statements fail to validate the patient’s current experience). Reflecting back, I realized that in the moment I didn’t want to relive my own pain, uncertainty, and fears that I experienced in my process of applying to medical school. I recalled the discouragement I felt with each rejection letter I received. And I was still feeling discouraged at my current job. Since I gained insight from connecting his experience with my own, I looked forward to validating his feelings at his next appointment. Unfortunately, he cancelled his appointment and never returned.

I realize that contemplating decisions regarding a career path, relationships, love, and pretty much anything pertaining to life in general, makes us vulnerable and uncomfortable. The idea of change can trigger fear and act as a barrier towards future ventures. After a year long process, I finally decided to resign. My anxiety peaked even more because I felt uncertain of the next step to take. Where do I go from here? Will I feel happier? Will I regret my decision?

Seeking motivation to push forward and take risks, I read quotes by famous writers, all with similar themes to never give up, choose the “road less traveled,” try new things, and learn from your mistakes.

The dangers of life are infinite, and among them are safety. ~ Goethe

Yet, it took being on a plane last night watching The Amazing Spiderman 2 hearing Gwen Stacy (played by Emma Stone) give her valedictorian speech to make me realize how mainstream and pervasive this dilemma is:

“…I say it today of all days to remind us that time is luck. So don’t waste it living someone else’s life, make yours count for something. Fight for what matters to you, no matter what. Because even if you fall short, what better way is there to live?”

As mentioned above, my decision involved resigning from my highly-desired, well-paid job in order to take control of my life, practice, and career. Since my last day, I have mixed emotions of feeling liberated, hopeful, excited, yet completely scared at the same time.

I made the right decision.

“…you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

~Jim Carrey

Putting in work at my new office in West Hollywood

Photos courtesy of Marlon Santos (Diamond Reel Media)

September 10, 2014 24 comments

Psychiatry

Know Your Limit

written by freudandfashion

266

Came home from work late today…again.

I’m passionate about my job as a psychiatrist and spent about two hours with each patient that I was called to consult on the medical floor this weekend. Lunch and dinner were an afterthought. I felt the hunger pangs, but pushed on because the appreciation received from each patient for taking time to understand their situation made hypoglycemia worthwhile.

Today, I spent several hours on a complicated case. Coordination of care took place, notes thoroughly written, and necessary calls made. I left the clinic with a goal to leave work behind. However, the patient is still on my mind. Accepting that I can’t save a patient is one of the most difficult aspects of my job. No words of appreciation expected, no reassurance of their safety, no guarantee of tomorrow.

I can’t cure, I can’t heal, I can’t save, but it would be out of my character not to at least try.

December 4, 2012 30 comments

Newer Posts

Older Posts