*Warning: mentions suicide* As I sat on the couch with Ollie sprawled over my lap, I sighed and mentioned to my husband that, yet again, another veterinarian has died by suicide. She was a mother with two little boys, a practice owner, and by all accounts seemingly happy. We can guess all we want about what desperation, what chemical lies, were swirling in her brain- but we will never know. This sort of thing was shocking once, but now it’s a dejected “oh no, not again.” You’ve probably ... Read more »
suicide
How to be happy in 4 simple steps
This month's JAVMA features confirmation of what those of us in the profession for more than a year or two already suspected: veterinarians are a sad bunch, compared to the general population. Consider these stats from the CDC's first-ever survey of the veterinary population: 1 in 6 have considered suicide; 25% of men and 37% of women in the profession report depressive episodes; 1.1% of men and 1.4% of women have attempted suicide; That last stat is the only one where vets figure in ... Read more »
We love you to death
Veterinary medicine, the happiest field on earth, land of puppy butts and kitty snuggles and Pet Doctor Barbies in hotpants, or so they told me when I was 10. Or perhaps it is the land of crushing student debt, clients frustrated that they are priced out of affordable care, and the unending mental strain of not being able to make every client happy and whole at the price they want you to provide it for. Maybe it's somewhere in between, but to be honest it seems to me like it's leaning a ... Read more »