A recent article titled ‘Should doctors cry at work?’ raised a controversial question, about the issue of doctors crying at work for various reasons include ‘feeling swamped by emotion and stress, sympathy for a dying patient, or connecting with a patient’s situation’.
Crying was recurrent at hospitals with 31% of medical students and 57% of doctors who cried at least once whilst at work where women cried more than men.
There’s no way to avoid suffering, pain, and deaths in a hospital environment, but this mixed with exhaustion, stress, and overworking can lead to an overwhelming emotional breakdown.
The question is then, is it really ok for GPs to cry at work?
A GP of LGBTQI health, Dr. Fiona Bisshop said it is fine to cry at work as she cried as a GP whilst with her patient whose teenage son committed suicide. This made her unable to perform as she became empathetic to that horror, imagining if her own son in that situation.
Dr. Bisshop said that crying is a human reaction and a sign of empathy.
Dr. Libby Hindmarsh, a GP, and medical professor also cried at work, agrees that the release imparts a level of empathy and understanding.
She said that it is fine for GPs to cry but needs to be very cautious that the patient understands that they are not stressing GPs as it is not the patient’s responsibility to be helping the GP. Addressing patients’ needs should always be the main focus.
Dr. Bisshop agrees with Dr. Hindmarsh’explanation.
As per the article, physicians are trained to stay disconnected from their own feelings, as well as their patients’, preserving the idea of a skilled and calm professional.
According to Dr. Caroline Walker, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist crying can be significant and relevant when a dreadful thing happened to patients.
Dr. Walker believes that GPs need to seek professional help if they feel like crying uncontrollably at work. However, if it’s just an issue of tearing up when GPs are with a patient, because of a patient’s story moved them, that is fine
Crying at work can also help patients know that they are heard and that GPs care, Dr. Bisshop added.
Do you think crying at work as a GP is correct, or do you disagree? Let us know in the comments below.
