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Physician, Go F*ck Thyself
Every day, a physician in America commits suicide.
Dr. Deelshad Joomun became the first female interventional nephrologist in the United States. She cared deeply & passionately about her work, having dedicated her life to helping others, motivated not by profit or fame but by the strength of her conviction & her spiritual faith. She was a private person, with no social media presence or personal information to be found about her on the Internet… until after she took her own life in a very dramatic & public manner, leaping off the same spot where three other physicians had previously made the same desperate decision.
Doctors are human, and being human means having emotions. It is not unreasonable to hold doctors to a high standard, but it is unreasonable to expect them not to be human. Unfortunately, even among healthcare professionals — who have no excuse and really should know better — the belief persists that those who utilize mental health services are weak, undisciplined, irrational, less competent, & potentially dangerous. In fact, it takes courage & emotional maturity to be aware of one’s mental health status and to seek help when needed, and those who deny & suppress their emotions & refuse to admit when they are suffering are the ones who lack discipline & strength and are ultimately the most dangerous to their patients.
