Lisa T, Roo Team
Photo of Dr. Carrie Jurney by Janet Delaney for NPR
It’s suicide prevention week.
Nobody likes to talk about mental health. It’s embarrassing, it’s distressing, it’s taboo. But it’s also VITAL that the stigma of depression and anxiety be erased so that those who are suffering silently feel empowered to speak out and get help.
Slowly but surely, the general public is starting to learn the immense pressure that veterinary professionals face day in and day out. Every time the story of a vet who has died by suicide comes to light, the picture becomes clearer- this profession can be brutal and something needs to change.
From the client side, people need to be kinder. People need to have empathy. People need to recognize that even just a snide comment about the cost of a procedure will stick with the vet or vet tech for the rest of the day, or week, or month. Vets, it’s ok to fire a client if they are cruel. You have that right.
From the professional side, people need to be kinder to themselves. Self care doesn’t mean drowning your stress in a bottle (or three) of wine. That’s destructive. It also doesn’t mean punishing your body with obsessive exercise, because that’s destructive, too. Self care means communicating, it means taking a step back, it means forgiving yourself. Self care means taking that day or weekend to disconnect from everything that’s making you anxious or unhappy.
From the AVMA website
What else can you do to help?
Learn about compassion fatigue. Learn about the ways you can identify and combat burnout. And lean on each other. Not One More Vet is a Facebook group that you can join with other veterinary professionals where you can find support and solace in one another.
Do you know someone who is struggling? Here’s a great resource for how to talk to a colleague about mental health.
And at the risk of sounding like a shameless plug, consider using Roo to help balance your work schedule with your life schedule. Relief work can be immensely rewarding, and it gives you the freedom to say “I’m giving myself a three-day weekend. I’m taking that time for me.” Because you deserve it.
