This Friday, from FX Medicine, we have a podcast with Dr Mark Donohoe and Andrew Whitfield-Cook, titled, ‘Chronic Illness and Suicide: Looking after Patients and Practitioners‘
Those patients for which medicine has no answers or solutions are very often the ones ending up in front of an integrative medicine practitioner. The time spent with patients is often longer, the investigations, sometimes deeper and in that process comes a mutual connection between patient and practitioner as they attempt together, to piece that person’s health and wellbeing back together. The darker side of this kind of health care are the patients we were unable to help. Those who’s health challenges are so insurmountable that they feel like taking their life is the answer.
FX Medicine
Which is another reason we need to get our submissions in for Freedom of Choice with Integrative Medicine.
COVERED IN THIS EPISODE
[00:35] Welcoming back Dr Mark Donohoe
[01:26] The complexities of chronic diseases
[11:00] Mood disorders: a feature of most chronic illnesses
[16:44] There’s opportunities in adjunctive therapies
[22:50] Professional limitations aren’t a weakness
[31:31] The polypharmacy conundrum
[40:06] Care for the health professional/ carer
[48:08] Resources: Organisations for assistance
THE FX Medicine Podcast: CHRONIC ILLNESS AND SUICIDE: LOOKING AFTER PATIENT AND PRACTITIONER WITH DR MARK DONOHOE
A note to readers who needed tissues listening to this podcast or just living with the challenge of a chronic illness: Living in isolation can and often leads to despair, sadness and even longing or grieving for family, friends, work, school, huge chunks of our lives, gone. These are natural feelings; however, loneliness in extended doses isn’t natural. Also, loneliness can be a by-product of avoiding chemical exposures, therefore most necessary to practice; but care really needs to be taken so as to not exclude ourselves from the human race entirely. It would help if we had local support groups (Although there are groups that meet yearly, if you’re prepared to travel in your state but luckily they’re also accessible online. Link: AESSRA, a support group in Victoria).
It’s also good to reach out to friends, even if online, if it all feels too much. A positive page on Pinterest or Instagram can go a long way to improving your mood… Listening to music. Gardening, feeding wildlife, spending time with pets: all soothing pastimes for the soul. Read. Listen to audio books.
Books on resilience, self-love–or books in alignment with your religion or personal beliefs. A favourite book of mine, well, there’s a few favourites when it comes to boosting my courage, silencing self-doubt and believing there is success in my future but the one I’m reading at the moment on my iPad is Amelia Hill’s ‘You Can and You Will ‘100 Belief Boosting Pep Talks To Get You From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be’…‘, (which you can get here); and in actual real book form I am reading (this is an improvement in health for me due to being able to breath inks once again): ‘The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living by Russ Harris.
Personally, I’m not much for Facebook Groups (as I just deleted my personal account) but they have been helpful in the past; especially when tackling and grappling with a newly diagnosed chronic illness. It’s great to be able to ask questions about basic living needs and legal and political, human rights and other aspects also. Here are some groups (I’ll be adding more to these later. Ideas are welcome):
MCS: MCS ~ Australian Awareness
CIRS: Toxic Mould Support Australia
Along with the podcast there is also a full transcript available for those who prefer reading or find it easier than listening to a full session.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Dr Mark Donohoe |
Lifeline |
Black Dog Institute |
Beyond Blue |
Mates in Construction |
Your thoughts?