Dr. Rossi Answers the Question Do Psychiatrists Get Depressed?

[@cyberiad]

My worst worry about doctors is that they've experienced just enough of something to think that they know what they're talking about.

[@gts447]

I don’t think we as patients worry that psychs don’t know what it’s like to be depressed. We worry that they don’t know what it’s like to be on SSRIs and other psych meds that they prescribe. And your reluctance to take meds in general , and unwillingness to take lexapro beyond 2 weeks, is further evidence of that: A single psych med tried for so short a period of time and such a low dose that you likely would have felt no benefit, but also very little withdrawal upon discontinuing. Appreciate your honesty and sharing your experience, but the real value in psychiatry is knowing how these drugs impact human beings functioning in everyday life, not some theoretical blueprint of what’s going on in the synaptic cleft that the field admits is a very rough hypothesis at best, and may actually be no understanding at all.

[@JIMKATSANIDIS]

Absolutely they get depressed! Psychiatrists are one of the highest risk jobs for suicide. I think part of the problem is that they have huge responsibility for people who are at risk. Also part of psychiatric treatment is to provide a type of reassurance that isn't entirely truthful. Therapists are humans and can have depression, anxiety and other things just like anyone else. The key is to recognize when symptoms present themselves, be prepared for them, and take appropriate measures. Thanks for this useful and informative video Dr. Rossi!🙌❤

[@Cap683]

Been there. I was in nursing school planning to become a psych RN. I went into a tail spin related to a lot of reasons including familial predisposition.I could not tolerate antidepressants so I had a course of 5 unilateral ECTs and slowly climbed out the depression and went on to work as a psych nurse for about thirty five years. I have known other doctors, nurses, techs, etc. who had been in crisis and treated with success. The point is that psychiatric problems are universal and mental health professionals are far from being immune.

[@MichaelWalden-o4d]

It's so refreshing to hear your honesty about what you have been through it's very relatable and must contribute so much to your understanding of your patients. My Wife's most recent psychiatrist clearly had struggles and had regular periods of time off for stress, without a doubt he was the best psychiatrist she has had. He got beyond her diagnosis of schizoaffective and helped support her self learning about her illness. Believing drugs will only do so much the patient to a large extent needs to learn about themselves and the illness to know how to best live with it. Here (UK) the concept of "open dialogue" is growing to facilitate that. I believe it is a Scandinavian concept, well worth researching because it's been amazingly beneficial for us in that learning journey. Keep up the great work

[@Dave-if5qj]

I had a psychiatrist who actually Take her own life when I was a teen

[@Hgtp2_Hat]

Of course psychiatrists get depressed! It’s often our own mental health struggles that lead us to the profession. I have had severe mental illness in the past, severe depression/anxiety/OCD. My mental health is vastly better since diagnosis of adhd/autism, lisdexamfetamine has changed my life, such a good response to it. There is a difference between severe depression & more typical low mood associated with stress/adjustment, so I don’t think everyone experiences severe depression.

[@minepolz320]

Make video about MAOI please eg Tranylcypromine

[@Spicer123-sj5sq]

Was it really 'depression' or was it an appropriate, non-pathological response to circumstances that you experienced?

[@thebeatles9]

this is not how the biopsychosocial model works. Etiology is rarely if ever important in diagnosis, only treatment. The only concern is a restoration of function, not if someone "really has" X. Medication was indicated and clinically sound, assuming that the patient was willing to accept the risks and side effects via informed consent. In other words, medication + therapy would statistically have worked better for Dr. Rossi more likely than just riding things out. But these are conversations for him and his physician to have discussed.

[@butterboy5621]

Seems like psychiatrists, more than other specialists, are more likely to be generally weird or have some strange hang ups. Certainly not all (I'm pretty normal I think) but many. Just an anecdotal observation.

[@reddbendd]

Yea, but they know drugs cure it