A Veterinary Equinox
Fighting Burnout in a New World
Is It Today?
What is an Equinox?
An Equinox is one of the two times of the year when the amount of daylight and nighttime hours are just about of equal length. The two Equinoxes occur around March 20–21 and September 22–23, marking the onset of both spring and autumn.
To avoid burnout, new graduates as well as senior veterinarians must strive, each day, to reach the stability of the Veterinary Equinox. This is not easy!! The journey encapsulates finding daylight within your professional and social life while struggling with the darkness of society in today's world!
We cannot remove the darkness of anxious clients; unjustifiable complaints; economic instability; and negative social media reviews.
We can balance or lighten this darkness, we experience within our profession, with a journal encapsulating the wonders of being a doctor of veterinary medicine or a veterinary nurse. A journal is important for a young veterinarian or veterinary nurse for multiple reasons. It can help those struggling with the "Imposter" Syndrome" and it, also, reinforces the positive impact of their patient interventions.
When our light is not overshadowed by the dark, it is quite easy to realize how we have been blessed as caretakers of the Animal Kingdom. The doctor or nurse must ask each day...."Is it today!"
If the balance of the Veterinary Equinox is not in your life, action must be taken immediately.
No one wants to speak about suicide. It is the hidden word that makes us look upon ourselves as being different. The concept of suicide is not spoken about as it smothers us in deep darkness.
Similarly, addictions are denied. We excuse our extra drinking and drug habits as normal in a world that rationalizes and allows abnormal behavior to be considered the norm! Many times it is supported by our peers who abuse alcohol and drugs to hide the darkness in their lives.
There has been a plethora of articles, recently, in the Internet and in professional journals about burnout. Many are similar and contain the same information that has been written and rewritten. Make sure you do not use these articles as a recipe book for solving all problems. It just will not work. The stages of burnout can initially be occult and in the beginning unrecognizable.
I have witnessed the loss of a friend and colleague from suicide. We spoke often and there were no red flags of distress. She lived on the west coast 1000's of miles away and we loved to chat and share experiences about our roles as caretakers of the Animal Kingdom. I ask myself over and over again how did it go wrong? How could this young vibrant beacon of veterinary education become so desperate to give up her life? That I will never know! Since her loss, she lives inside of me.
As a disciple of hers, I have come to believe we all can make a difference in stopping others who seek suicide as an answer to their hidden suffering.
This can be as simple as reading social media commentary from your special friend and noting if the commentary has become dark. If this darkness is evident, let your friend know about the vehicles of help that have been constructed by the AVMA and ancillary help groups recommended by the AVMA.
The connections between burnout; addiction; and suicide contemplation are complex. Only a trained healthcare professional can separate and integrate these problems as they exist in their own life. In many all three problems can co-exist.
Finding a mentor or friend to help with professional work problems is not a substitute for finding a professional who is an expert in treating depression and other conditions that prevent the individual from being the advocate of the Animal Kingdom that once meant very much to them during their academic years.
The AVMA has important resources that are readily available.
Preventing Suicide: A new guide free to our profession
Published on October 14, 2022
A newly published
resource guide developed by the AVMA and partner organizations provides
strategies and practical actions that veterinary professionals can take to help
prevent suicide.
The Suicide Prevention Resource Guide for Veterinary Settings outlines
societal, community, relationship, and individual approaches, and can steer
veterinary professionals and groups in developing a comprehensive suicide
prevention plan.
The guide provides
information about suicide risk and protective factors, warning signs, and what
organizations and individuals can do to help prevent suicide. It reflects
learnings from suicide research and the implementation of evidence-based
suicide prevention and response strategies in a variety of academic and
workplace settings.
The resource guide was
developed by the AVMA, the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges,
and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in collaboration with the
National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, Veterinary Hospital
Managers Association, and Veterinary Medical Association Executives.
Suicide
is preventable
Despite its
complexity, suicide can be prevented. It’s not an inevitable outcome of someone
experiencing pain or crisis in their life, and we can take actions to help
protect ourselves and others who might be at risk.
The new resource guide
joins AVMA’s growing library of wellbeing and suicide prevention resources that
are available to everyone in the veterinary profession. Found at avma.org/Wellbeing, these include suicide
response guides for veterinary workplaces and colleges, and free suicide prevention training for all
veterinary professionals.
The digital CE courses
on AVMA Axon also include numerous wellbeing webinars, including several focused
specifically on suicide prevention. Among these are a new, two-part series
addressing the latest research and perspectives on preventing suicide, and ways
our profession can chart a path forward by working together:
The question to ask each and every sunrise is described in just three words: Is it today?
