Real Talk E1: Dealing With Depression as a Medical Student

Hey everyone! Today I'm talking about how I manage depression and anxiety on the day to day as I make my way through medical school. 300-400 physicians commit suicide per year. Suicide is more common in physicians than it is in the non-MD population. 28% of residents experience an episode of major depression during their training. THESE are the reasons that I decided to make this video!

Disclaimer: These opinions are my own and do not represent medical advise. Though I am a medical student, I am NOT a physician. Please seek information from your own primary care provider or psychiatrist regarding the management & treatment of your depression, anxiety or panic disorders.

Online Counselling:

Lifelines:

National Suicide prevention lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Alcohol & Drug Helpline: 1-800-923-4357
Military Helpline: 1-888-457-4838
Youthline: 1-877-968-8491

[drkcmiller]

Quick Disclaimer: These opinions are my own and do not represent medical advise. I am NOT a physician. Please seek information from your own primary care provider or psychiatrist regarding the management & treatment of your depression, anxiety or panic disorders!

[fatimasaeed]

im a first year med student and I wish I never stepped foot in this field. I have never felt more overwhelmed. comparing myself and my grades to everyone else around me makes me feel like an absolute idiot. I don't understand how everyone else is able to succeed so easily yet when I try my hardest I just fail worst than before. I used to wish id fail so I can just change majors but now if I fail I feel like it'll be the final push for me to end it. its tiring to exist when everyone around is telling you you aren't trying hard enough when you're giving it your all. I don't know what to do anymore. lol sorry to spill my heart out but feels good to vent

[nomdeplume]

I'm still in school and struggling with with depression. My mental health has never been the best since I started high school in 2015, I've had recurring depressive episodes but I was somehow always able to power through. Last year I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and panic disorder. I managed to get my panic attacks under control but I slipped into another depressive episode right before I started A Levels this year and this time it completely derailed me, impaired me, I couldn't concentrate in class, I was in this constant low mood, I'm always fatigued, I was having this constant brain fog and every time I got home all I wanted to do was sleep. Then came the suicidal thoughts, I started cutting again which is something I haven't done since 2016. I wanna tell my mum that I need help and I want to go back to therapy but I don't even know how to bring it up. She's probably just going to brush it off or take me to church or something but I need help because I cant keep going on this way.

[azzazz]

How did you succeed as a student if you have depression . . . Your memory and concentration is none existent when you have depression

[Alaafa]

Thank you so much for making this video! It feels good to know that I'm not alone in this.
I'm a second year med student and I just can't cope with my depression.
I'm barely passing my exams, failed 3 classes already and my gpa is a mess.
Even though I really care about studying and I can't imagine myself anywhere else beside med school, but this year has been devastating for me.
I decided that I will seek help and talk about it. Living with failures is not fun and I'm so sick of it.
Sorry for the rant, and again, thank you for making this video.❤❤

[amystroud]

Thank you for doing a video about this! It’s something that often goes unspoken especially in medical school. I’ve struggled with anxiety and panic for a few years, but it always good to hear different ideas for how to cope. You gave me something’s I need to do for myself to make sure I’m taking care of me :)

[teanonkovic]

Thank you so much for making this video! I'm trying to get into medical school in Croatia and I don't want to self- diagnose myself but I'm gonna definitely plan to see a psychiatrist soon because I every day is a struggle even for a little things. I tend to feel very depressed every single day and asking myself whether is med school really a choice for me. It's soo hard ttk get myself to study and I tend to isolate myself from other people often. Also I have a feeling that my life has apsolutely no meaning. I know that's not true but I'm sure that your advices will help me. Thank you again and wish you all the best! :)

[ryanfischer]

This is a great video, and definitely not a topic talked about enough despite its prevalence. It must have taken a lot of courage to make this video. It is commendable how much you have helped people even prior to finishing medical school (and by helping aspiring physicians with their mental health in medical school it is sure to radiate out to the lives they will touch through the profession...).

[sugaarmyradhika]

I m preparing of an entrance exam to enter into medical school but somehow due my depression, hopeless Ness, family issues, lack of emotional support, lack of opportunities, availability of resources, lack of self discipline m struggling to find myself.i used to be a good singer but now I lost myself, I lost all my passion for music or anything.i just don't enjoy anything .lost my interest in love, music, friends,skills tht I used to do .overall I m done!

[davinfernandothelegend]

In my fifth year, I’m depressed as fuck, I don’t feel like touching a book 😭

[anshudeo]

I am sobbing in tears for no important reason actually. I just missed my class of bp measurement and I just feel like I will never be able to be a good practitioner in future

[Melanie-zhup]

It's really great you are talking about this! I definitely feel like it's taboo in the medical field and more open discussions need to be had. Loma linda alone has had 3 resident suicides since last July and they have truly failed at remedying the situation and providing any type of action that will help their staff moving forward. Thanks for sharing your story! Look forward to watching more from this series!

[FS-tdog]

More on this please!! I really want to hear about how you deal with acute episodes as well and any other coping mechanisms you can offer. 1st year med student here.

[Meghdeep]

Tomorrow is my Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology internal practical assessment.
I'm a 3rd year dental student from India, staying far from home alone. I have anxiety attacks from 1st year before every exam-days, especially for the subjects that I've read well through out the year, even if it's an internal assessment. My Dad is also doctor, he tries to calm me down over call during attacks.
I study all round the year but just before exam, in fear of getting supplementary(back) in any subject or it seems like that topics I'm seeing through before night of exam, i just can't remember everyline or most of it after sometime, then I freak out. But my results are avarage-good, getting 65 - 70 percent marks in the last 2 years. I just don't know what to do! Next year is THE FINAL YEAR, 8 SUBJECTS, 12 TO 15 BOOKS, I don't know if I can continue my BDS or not, because of this anxiety attacks.
Please help me out.

[droidattac]

Great video! This is a topic that I have been thinking about recently, as someone who has had depression and anxiety their whole life and struggles with motivation towards school a lot (not a med student, but a music ed.). I do have one point that I'd like to bring up concerning the one tip you gave about forcing yourself to go out and socialize when you feel depression sinking in. As someone who is introverted (idk if this has any play in this or not), sinking into depression and then forcing myself to do something other than fully embracing the depression would do more harm than good. I've been told that my whole life up until recently, when with my therapist we talked about how to handle depressive episodes. For me personally, it's critical that I let myself descend into that darkness and let myself stay in bed all day/don't shower/eat whatever. When I let myself do this, I can bounce back faster as I've let the storm pass with trying to meet it with any resistance. Part of the reason why I wanted to look up this topic was because I wanted to know if med students are even able to do this, so it's interesting hearing the point of view from someone who seems to thrive off socialization. I am curious if any med student introverts or someone with introverted-tendencies would like to weigh in on this.

[sabrinaalexandra]

I'm studying social work in college. I'm redoing my first year due to my mental health acting up. I have had mental health issues since I was 15. Last year around november it started getting bad again and my depression got the best of me. I stopped going to work. I stopped going to school which is why I'm redoing the year. My teacher is aware of my situation and she's amazing!! But i honestly don't know what to do. I already missed the first 2 weeks. I could've gone today but I chose not to put an alarm so i wouldn't get up and now i hate myself for it. I have also been self harming more often and just struggling to eat. At this point, i have no idea what to do to get my life back together. It honestly feels like this huge mess that i made and its all my fault

[hisbrideandwhitecoat]

Great content! As a third year, Osteopathic Medical student myself. Sending blessings and glad you are speaking about these topics!

[Elaria]

This video was amazing! Thank you for being so brave and talking about controversial topics! Please make another video on how to cope with acute depression ♥️

[ashleyh]

Did you include your personal experience with anxiety and depression in your application (LOA, ABS, etc.)? I listen to the Medical School HQ premed podcast and heard that one should actually NOT include that information about themselves (even if it explains what has sparked your passion for medicine) because you don't want to give medical schools any reason to doubt your ability to excel in a stressful environment, or because if you drop out due to mental illness it makes them look bad.

The main speaker in this podcast has sat on many admissions boards (in the US) and has also had students not be accepted because of their mental illness history, even if they're stable now.

I can't believe we're still having to hide issues like this, no matter how mild or severe, just to make it seem like we're good enough to achieve our goal. What do you think?

[futuredoc]

Love your videos. I recently started a channel for pre-meds. This is a great subject to address. I look forward to more of your videos!