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I am a dual-trained physician of internal medicine and pediatrics so I see babies as young as
a day or two old
on up to the geriatric range of you know,
100, 102 years old. You know, I was formerly
a flight medic enlisted and now serving as a flight surgeon and a commander
and just love the mission the people that we serve the people we help
I was working the ER shift one night
here in my community ER, a community outside of a major metropolitan city
and a young man checks in, he and his wife
are presented to the ER. Just complained of
feeling depressed feeling sad. It was a very tense situation
I walked into the room, he is lying in bed
not making any eye contact. His wife had a very closed, nervous posture sitting in a
chair by the door
she made eye contact and I asked a few open-ended questions
and I really wasn't getting a good feel that he wanted to talk
I couldn't tell if she was scared, afraid
or didn't know what to say. So I offered her an out.
I asked her if she'd like to leave and let us talk in private. And before I could
finish that statement she was already out the door. So I got a little nervous, didn't know
what I it stepped into.
and he went on to disclose that he was a member
in the armed services, he was in the army, and had recently deployed
to Iraq for over a year and was having difficulties at home
Just very loose generic statements made by him.
But he was very nervous. I was aware that he is very
reluctant to disclose what was really going on with them, and he was
calculating his responses
And so recognizing that I thought I would put him at ease by disclosing
I too am a member up the armed services actually the Air Force he was an Army member.
And I shared with him that I had once been listed
for about nine years as a med tech and I was now serving in the capacity
as flight surgeon here that local a guardian at the Tennessee National Guard
and unfortunately it didn't put him at ease. He got very nervous
Didn't wanna talk and I asked him several times
you know I understand, understand the mission. You know, we will try to
understand what you're going through.
And he shared that he feared if he talked to a military member that
that information would make him back to his unit. He was up for promotion,
had served nobly and done well and feared that
him being here talking about depression and PTSD related issues
would cost him his promotion. So we spent about 15-20 minutes talking about
confidentiality that I was
at his bedside capacity as a civilian provider, however
had the military experience and expertise to maybe try to help bridge the gap
and understand his struggle. At that point he relaxed.
So this gentleman drove from a neighboring state
about two hours to get to me
hoping to secure an anonymous visit.
You know, he knew he needed help but he didn't want to disclose so we
talked about
what he had done in the interim. You know why didn't you seek
help or counsel in country. You know you had your medical corps
you have your physicians your provider's their flight surgeons, you have a chaplain core.
He pretty much said you know if you go to those places
you know he felt like he'd be labeled he didn't want to quote be put out a mental
so he just dealt with it. And his dealing with it included
increased alcohol consumption. He and some other buddies that were sharing some
of the same issues would get together and
try to cope, but they weren't doing well. So we talk about
what he's dealing with what he's feeling. I'm honest I am NOT a
psychiatrist. I am not a licensed counselor but in my capacity as a
civilian ER physician I am bound by the laws in Tennessee
to secure his safety. And I said that includes making you safe from
yourself at this moment
Unfortunately with our system, we don't have a process of follow-up
we don't get a courtesy letter of how the patient did. So I never heard any
more from him but
there was that relief and reassurance that not only he wanted treatment,
he didn't successfully succeed with his suicidal ideation and his plan for suicide.
He did ultimately seek care so we considered it a save.