KevinMD: We must start looking for drowning colleagues January 11, 2022
Written by MSDC Staff
In a new article for KevinMD.com, Allyson Hart, MD, shares her experience with physician suicide and argues that the entire community needs to be aware of each other. The article was prompted by media reports of a physician who committed suicide. Dr. Hart writes:
Drowning prevention campaigns remind us that it is typically silent and unremarkable, unlike the flailing arms and loud cries portrayed on television. Someone right next to you in the water could be in distress, and you can miss it if you aren’t actively looking. It turns out, facing suicide feels a lot like looking up at the blue sky from two inches under the water’s surface, struggling to breathe, and trying to find the energy to pull yourself up for air. Feeling invisible to those around you, at some point, you’re too exhausted to swim anymore.
If you need a resource, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
If you need to speak to someone immediately, call 800-273-8255 or text TALK to 741741.