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Adventures in Adversity | Michael McGee, MD Cont.

While there is a desperate need for more systemic solutions to address the social determinants of burn-

out, including our cultural values and community fragmentation, I hope you can see that there is much
that you can do, but little that you can do on your own. We all need help. I strongly advise you to find a
good therapist if you don’t already have one.

If you can, join or create a peer support group. We are currently setting up confidential, closed peer sup-
port groups for our members. Please let me know of you are interested in joining one! You can reach me
at mdm@drmichaelmcgee.com.

We are also in the process of setting up a mentoring program! I myself have three mentors, (some of us
need more help than others!) and can’t speak strongly enough about how invaluable it has been to have
the support, guidance, and wisdom of my mentors. Again, please let me or NCPS staff know if you
would like a mentor.

Engage in a practice of “healing and vitality management!” Then, slow down, pace yourself, and savor

this gift of life in deep connection with others. Know that you are enough, that this moment is more than
enough, and then do what you can, and no more. That is more than enough.

When pain and difficulty arise, try not to pair them with shame. But shame will arise, as that is our condi-
tioning. When it does, do the necessary work to release yourself from shame. Never hurt alone. Make
sure several wise and loving people always know what is going on with you. Humbly ask for help when
you need it, just as you advise your patients to do. By practicing what we preach, we benefit everyone,

and that includes us.
If you are experiencing burnout, please feel free to reach out to me or any of our other members of the

Member Resource Committee. We are here to help! You can find our contact information on the NCPS
website.

i. Makransky, J. Awakening Through Love: Unveiling your Deepest Goodness. Wisdom Publications. 2007. Somerville, MA.
ii. Yalom, I. The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a new Generation of Therapists and Their Patients. Harper Perennial. 2017. New York.
iii. Dyrbye LN, Eacker A, Durning SJ, Brazeau C, Moutier C, Massie FS, Satele D, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. The Impact of Stigma and Personal Experiences on the Help-
Seeking Behaviors of Medical Students With Burnout. Acad Med. 2015 Jul;90(7):961-9. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000655. PMID: 25650824.
iv. Tay S, Alcock K, Scior K. Mental health problems among clinical psychologists: stigma and its impact on disclosure and help-seeking. J Clin Psychol. 2018;74(9):1545-
1555.
v. Lembke, A. Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. Dutton Press. 2021. New York.
vi. Mate, G. The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture. 2022. Avery Press. New York.
vii.The Age of Addiction: How Bad Habits Became Big Business David Courtwright The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2019 pp 336, US$27·95 ISBN
9780674737372

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PSYCHIATRIC SOCIETY Page 23 January / February 2023