Addressing Mental Health in the O&P Profession

 “You can’t take care of other people if you are not taking care of yourself.”  —My mother

My mother’s words constantly echo in my mind. I’m guilty of staying late at work unnecessarily just to get something done that was on my mind. I’ve also felt panic because I couldn’t remember whether I’d done something correctly. Early in my career I gave out my cell number to patients, which was a huge mistake. They abused the privilege and called at all hours about issues that could have been handled in the clinic. Finally the anxiety that I felt forced me to stop giving out my number. These are just a few of my personal experiences with stress and anxiety in the field. Some of them were self-inflicted, and it has become clear to me that I need to get better at listening to my mother.