Over the past year, several articles have been published — in the Boston Globe and various trade journals — about how stressful it is to be a veterinarian. Each one highlights the fact that 1 in 6 veterinarians have considered suicide. Many people might be surprised by that statistic, but to veterinarians who face the daily challenges of exhausting hours, financial strain, and compassion fatigue, we know it all too well.
Our profession is in the midst of a mental health crisis. What has been done to address it?
My name is Pamela Datsko and at times during my 26 year career as a veterinarian, I have struggled with depression myself. But I thought I was just one of a small group of veterinarians who were having trouble. That changed with the suicide of veterinarian Sophia Yin in 2014. Dr. Yin created the Low Stress Handling™ program about how to make our pets’ time in the clinic low stress. Even though I’d never met her, I admired her work and her death broke my heart.
The tragic irony that she was so passionate about reducing stress in the clinic, and yet took her own life, hit me hard. From the outside, it looked like she had everything going for her, which made me realize that far more of my colleagues may be suffering in silence than I’d previously recognized.
I knew I could not stay silent and allow my colleagues to struggle any longer. That same year, I started mentoring through Veterinary Information Network (VIN). I found it fulfilling for what it was, but since it only involved emailing mentees, I wanted to do more.
There are a handful of veterinarians with other advanced degrees, like psychology, with online presences for counseling veterinarians. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has an online self-assessment tool for veterinary wellbeing, and they provide some resources. Some of the pharmaceutical companies provide a similar service, with personal wellness modules on a free online learning platform. All of these are much-needed services, but I have the strong feeling that veterinarians also need deeper and more personal support.
I know I wanted personal, individual interactions when I needed help. Online support alone just would not have cut it for me. I began my personal healing journey in 2013 and it has transformed my life.
I created Heal ThySELF DVM™ because it’s time to stop suffering—because I want other veterinarians to be able to enjoy their lives and careers again. I want to do my part in helping to end the mental health crisis.
On Wednesday March 22, 2017, I will be hosting a free online interactive webinar called Veterinarians, Heal ThySELF! where you can join me and other like-minded colleagues in exploring some of the transformational techniques that have made such a difference in my own life—including a powerful guided visualization.
You can expect to walk away feeling uplifted and energized with a more positive outlook on your future. I look forward to seeing you there!
*And if you know someone who might benefit from this information, please forward this article to them. Thank you.