When we went to medical school, how many of us thought we would practice through a pandemic? For most of us, 2020 was the most challenging professional year of our lives. As a psychiatrist, I found it particularly odd to be struggling with the same issues as all of my patients and to have all my patients in crisis at the same time. I was repeatedly asked by friends, “How are your patients doing?” My reply, “About the same as the rest of us.” After a period of adapting, I felt truly blessed to be able to practice online. I know many of my colleagues did not have that luxury, and the stress you endured is hard to fathom.
Dr. Eva Ritvo
Yet, as Friedrich Nietzsche said in so many words, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger,” and here we are in a new year. As we enter 2021, we know so much more about COVID-19 than we did mere months ago, and many of us have been fortunate enough to be vaccinated already.
We should be very proud of our medical and scientific community, which has worked so hard to prevent and treat COVID-19. It is indeed a miracle of modern medicine that two vaccines made their way through development to distribution in under a year. It is a great relief that health care workers are first in line: Of the 4 million vaccine doses given worldwide, 2 million were to U.S. medical personnel. We can now track the number of people vaccinated around the globe.
Yet, “the darkest hour is just before the dawn.” We are currently in the riskiest part of the pandemic, and we must continue to work hard.
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As 2021 progresses, we can expect to begin the long recovery process. We know we are innately wired to adapt to adversity and are therefore resilient. The key is to tap into this wiring by developing behaviors, habits, and strategies that support us.
Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is a theory in mental health that explains a kind of transformation following trauma. It was developed by psychologists Richard Tedeschi, PhD, and Lawrence Calhoun, PhD, in the mid-1990s. They studied how people experienced positive growth following adversity. Dr. Tedeschi has said: “People develop new understandings of themselves, the world they live in, how to relate to other people, the kind of future they might have and a better understanding of how to live life.” One-half to two-thirds of individuals experiencing trauma will experience PTG. Given that our entire profession has gone through this collective trauma, far better times may indeed be ahead.
Resilience expert Eva Selhub, MD, suggests cultivating these six pillars:
- Physical vitality: The toll of 2020 has been enormous. If we are to rebound, we must care for ourselves. In our training, we were taught to put our health aside and work grueling hours. But to recover from trauma, we must attend to our own needs. Even after we are vaccinated, we must keep our nutritional status and immunity functioning at optimal levels. Let’s not get COVID-19 complacency. Clearly, health matters most. Ours included!
- Mental toughness: We made it through an incredibly grueling year, and we had to “build it as we sailed.” We figured out how to save as many lives as we could and simultaneously keep ourselves and our families safe. We have seen things previously unimaginable. We have adjusted to telemedicine. We have lived with far fewer pleasures. We have cultivated multiple ways to tame our anxieties. The year 2020 is one we can be proud of for ourselves and our colleagues. We have come a long way in a short time.
- Emotional balance: Anxiety and depression were easy to fall into in 2020. But as the pandemic subsides, the pendulum will swing the other way. The 1918 pandemic gave rise to the Roaring Twenties. What will the next chapter in our civilization bring?
- Loving and strong connections. Our relationships are what give depth and meaning to our lives, and these relationships are crucial now so we can heal. How can we nourish our connections? What toll has the pandemic taken on those closest to you? Did some friends or family step up and help? Can we move out of our caretaker role and allow others to care for us?
- Spiritual connection: Facing so much grief and suffering, we have had an opportunity to look at our own lives from a different perspective. It has been an important year for reflection. How can we cultivate a deeper appreciation recognizing that every day is truly a gift? Did you find more purpose in your work last year? What sustained you in your time of need?
- Inspiring leadership: As health care professionals, we must set an example. We must show our patients and our families how resilient we can be. Let’s grow from trauma and avoid succumbing to depression, self-destructive tendencies, and divisiveness. We must continue to care for ourselves, our patients, and our community and work together to ensure a brighter and safer future for all.
Wishing you a safe, happy and healthy 2021.
“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”
– Carl Jung, PhD
Dr. Ritvo, a psychiatrist with more than 25 years’ experience, practices in Miami Beach. She is the author of “Bekindr – The Transformative Power of Kindness” (Hellertown, Pa.: Mimosa Publishing, 2018). She has no conflicts of interest.