Vet burnout: why veterinarians ignore their own mental health (and how to stop) 👀
I never knew HUMAN dentistry could be so shocking 😯🦷
My Norwegian study-buddy at vet school had talked me into volunteering serving coffee at the veterinary dental congress at our school - and in between burning ourselves on steaming coffee we watched as much as we could of the presentations.
Then we saw the presentations by the HUMAN dentists - OH MY FUCKING GOD!!
There were so many extreme cases of self-neglect, but the case I still remember was this elderly lady that had a growth in her mouth. She must have been afraid to face the music, because by the look of the pictures she left it waaayyyyy too long to be seen… Poor thing, and then all the cases of people who obviously hadn’t heard about brush and floss..
As a young, know-it-all and frankly quite judgemental vet student I couldn’t understand - why did these people not get help BEFORE?
As veterinarians, we are also quick to judge people who don’t seek help for their pets earlier:
“How did they not smell that MOUTH!?!?!?”
“So that mass just grew overnight? Suuureeee, eye-roll… guffaw, guffaw…”
What do people often say when we try to help?
“We’ll monitor at home”
“It’s not that bad”
“We’ll try this thing we did last time”
“I mean, it probably needs looking at, at some point, but not right now…”
“We don’t really have time to take him to the vet”
It’s so easy to see and judge from this side of the examination table, right?HOWEVER…. When it comes to our own health… and as a life coach I’m talking specifically about emotional wellbeing … WE DO EXACTLY THE SAME!!!
I feel like SH*T.
This is not WORTH IT.
I don't know what to DO.
I’m so OVERWHELMED
I broke down crying and then slept for 16 hours
And then, instead of asking for help:
“(Your version of) I’ll monitor at home”
“It’s not that bad”
“I’ll try the same thing over and over and see if it works THIS time”
“I mean, it probably needs dealing with, at some point, but not right now…”
“I don’t really have time to deal with this”
RINGS A BELL??!!
Notice when you’re trying to push it away, deal with it yourself and keep ignoring it:
You’re that old lady not wanting to have her mouth examined.
You’re that owner not smelling the halitosis.
Where might you not be asking for help?
Remember there are so many resources out there in the form of helplines, counsellors, and of course, I'm here to listen anytime. I've got a free pdf for you, my podcast, a free consult...
You DON'T have to do it all alone.
In your corner,
Ready to fall back in love with Vet Med?
If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or doubting yourself — I get it. I've been there. Here's how I can help:
- Book a Free 50-Minute Coaching Consultation — Let's chat about where you are and where you want to be if you're thinking about joining my coaching programme. Book here
- Want help, right now? Book a single session and get coached on a specific issue, or a specific feeling you're experiencing right now. No need to prepare anything, just show up and I'll ask you questions so we can quickly find out what's going on and I'll talk you through the tools to feel better and/or ways to deal with the issue. Book here for 150$
- Download the Free Burnout Guide — 10 ways to overcome burnout in the veterinary clinic. Get it here
- Explore the Happy in Vet Med Programme — Beat burnout and imposter syndrome. Learn more
You don't have to do this alone.