In the novel called Bellvue (The name gave me nostalgia since I used to work in a hospital by the name in Kolkata! Those were the days of Bhel puri and rosogulla!) by Robin Cook tells about an intern in his first posting! That bought back memories! It was also like his earlier novel called the year of the intern but with some twists!
Anyway Robin shows how overworked and underpaid the typical intern is! The standard story of every intern!
So in this age when sometimes when the trust for a doctor is shaky; you have a common phenomenon where the doctor or the health care professional sacrifices his or her own sleep or health to take care of the patient!
When it occurs so much that it causes health issues then it is called Pathological altruism!
Pathological altruism refers to a pattern of behavior in which the sincere attempt to help others results in unanticipated and often severe harm to the self, the recipient, or society.
Unlike healthy altruism, which is rooted in mutual respect and clear boundaries, pathological forms are often compulsive, maladaptive, and driven by underlying psychological issues such as guilt, fear of rejection, or a need for validation!
The chief features here is that they usually prioritizing others’ needs to a degree that causes physical or psychological harm to oneself.
They also help in behaviors that inadvertently support destructive habits in others, such as covering for a loved one’s addiction or shielding them from the consequences of their actions.
These also stem from a conviction that one’s actions are morally superior, which can lead to ignoring practical evidence of the harm being caused.
A severe form of Pathological altruism is to use self-sacrificing acts to control, punish, or induce guilt in others. The altruist seeks to be viewed as a martyr to exert manipulative power.
Healthcare professionals who neglect their own health to an extreme degree, eventually becoming unable to provide care effectively.
I once read about some intern who had non stop duty for 2-3 days! Not only it is a stress on the physical and mental aspect of the healthcare professional; I am unsure what kind of effective help can the intern provide in his tired state of body and mind!
So once in a while if you have a patient who promptly arrives the perfect time you are leaving; if he or she is not having any emergency you can tell him or her to come the next day! You would see him or her properly and not in a hurry and then would actually provide a proper well rested care. Even the patient must sometimes realize that it is better to be seen by a doctor properly and slowly rather than in a hurry!
Altruism only works if your doctor or the health care provider is himself healthy both mentally and physically! Let it not become pathological!
Your doctor can not solve all the problems of your life! He is not Jijaji! Like Om Prakash in Chupke chupke!
Now give some well deserved rest to your body and sleep!
Shubh ratri…
ramadocblog 