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IronDoc: Practical Stress Management Tools
for Physicians by Mamta Gautam, MD, FRCPC, MOT
Price $15.95>> 
 Anticipating
the other couch
You can’t believe that you are actually here, in the waiting
room, waiting to see the therapist. It has been months coming, allowing
you the time to admit you are not well, and to acknowledge that you
need some help to feel better. Thinking back to the phone call you
made, you are so grateful that you got a return call the next day.
It made it easier to not back down. You had no time for the usual
pep talk that you had always used to convince yourself that it is
not so bad, no time to put up the usual barriers that had prevented
you from seeking help before, and stay stuck. You had let it go for
too long; luckily the therapist understood that, and she made arrangements
to see you quickly.
Then, you start to worry about what to say. What is she expecting?
Should I have this all written out, like a case presentation? Perhaps
I have some of the dates wrong? You wait and hope it goes fine. You
really have nothing to lose. You have done all that you can by yourself.
It is hard to be the patient. As doctors, we are care givers, not
care receivers. We are not comfortable receiving care from others.
This is not the role that we were trained to do. We also like to be
in control. Letting someone else take over the control is not easy
to do.
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