We are now at the mid-point of our Summer Assignment. Thank you all for all the great comments. Also, this is the first year I can remember where there have been no unmarked comments at this point in the summer. Thank you all again for getting your settings correct.
As I imagine many of you are, I have been watching as many hours of the Olympics as possible (Sunday morning's track and field session was ridiculous [M 100m final, M High Jump final. W Triple Jump final]). One of the bigger stories coming out of the American team this week has been Simone Biles and her decision not to complete in the team overall event, and many of her individual events. If you are unaware of this, here is a link with a quick rundown of the basics. It is a quick story, but I needed to find something that (1) wasn't behind a paywall so that everyone could read it, and (2) did not have a comment section, because comments are toxic.
The issue of mental health is very important to both Mr Parker and myself. This school year is going to again be a unique experience for all of us, between almost two whole classes moving into a new building, uncertainty about in-person/remote options, masking mandates, lab work...the list goes on.
We will say this now, and will repeat orselves many times during the school year: no class, no grade, no test score, is worth your mental health and well-being. If you ever feel overwhelmed or overly anxious, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of us, or your guidance counselor. We want you to be as successful as possible, but beyond that, you need to be mentally well.
One quick link, also on the topic of mental health. Many of you are most likely looking at a career in medicine. Physician burnout is something that is just now being recognized. TRIGGER WRNING: Suicide. The fact that physicians are denied the basic compassion that they are expected to provide to their patients is jaw dropping. And although the article focuses only on physicians, these issues effect everyone in the medical profession. We need to get better at helping those in need.
I know this week was a bit heavy with the content, but mental health is a very important issue, and I wanted to make sure you all know that Mr. Parker and I are on your side, and will help you if you have any issues. I will find some lighter fare for next week.
48 comments:
Demonstrated throughout the two articles, taking care of mental health should be displayed in more importance. In the article, “Simon Biles just made the most impressive move of her career”, it speaks about how Biles "withdrew" from the competition due to the amount of stress and anxiety she was going through at the time. She did not want to cost her team a medal, but did not also want to let the world down by not competing. It seemed as if it was an extremely challenging decision to either prevail through or put your mental health first. By being a black woman in the Olympics and attempting to take care of her mental health, backlash would most probably arise from the situation. Although there were people who did not understand why she did what she did, there were numerous people on social media preaching on how amazing and justifiable her move was. I believe that even though it may have cost her a silver medal instead of a gold medal, she demonstrated how taking care of yourself first is way more important than anything else. She must have saved other young girls and boys’ lives by doing so. Not only did Simone Biles put her mental health first, but other young woman athletes did the same. With an immense amount of pressure and intimidation, it’s easy to break and burnout. From the Olympics to school to adult occupations - burnout is real.
Speaking of occupational burnout, the article, “The doctors are not all right” was truly jaw-dropping to read. From a young age, we were taught that doctors were like superheroes and their powers were the medicine that could heal us. As we got older, we realized that although doctors do seem like superheroes, they have their own kryptonite and are still human at the end of the day. This article broadcasted a truly eye-opening topic of doctors who are committing suicide due to the immense amount of pressure and work they have to do, even at an old age. More specifically, physicians in the medical field. The article dove into the life of Dr. Scott Jolley. He was an overworked physician, especially during the pandemic where one would be required to go in for emergency patients who may have COVID-19. Being old and exposed to COVID is stressful enough, but being the person who has to take care of others who have COVID is commendable, yet challenging. Unfortunately, after multiple times of reaching out to the people he worked with for help and not receiving word back, he committed suicide. As tough as it was to hear that, there are many other physicians who are dealing with the same thing. I do not believe that the system is fair at all for the people who work so hard to keep everyone else safe. A few states’ by the license board ask doctors about their mental health first. However, I think that some doctors may not want to receive help because of the shame and denial themselves. Myles Greenberg, Dr. Jolley’s friend posed an intriguing insight about how doctors feel shameful to reach out, and it would be best to intervene earlier to have a better outcome later. I agree with that fact, but in addition, to keep sharing stories and advocate about mental health. Being vulnerable shows that we are human, so I believe to keep sharing your thoughts to people who will understand. In fact, I’m conducting a mental health study with a University professor about mental health in teenagers, and from what it seems - it’s a huge problem that needs to be solved. Hence, mental health comes first and I applaud everyone who takes time to take care of themselves mentally, since it’s a difficult task.
Mental Health + COVID 19: As someone who struggled with the same aspects of burnout, depression, and anxiety, similar yet not as severe to Dr. Jolley, the article resonated with me in many ways. The entire article shines a light on the current medical system that is not considering the physical, and now, the mental health of the very people who are constantly risking their lives to save others and needs to be changed. What happened to Dr. Jolly, Dr. Breen, and the 400 other doctors who suffered silently that resulted in their own deaths is what should be alarming to the medical boards, officials, and hospitals to build a better system to get doctors who are not well, the help they need. The rise of untreated physician burnout also concerns many other factors such as how safe the patients will be or the medical errors that would start to occur more times than needed. The overall misconception around mental health was developed over the course of generations, specifically, the older generations, which made it seem like mental health was more of a weakness or something that wasn’t a big deal. The stigma around grew more when it came to the mental health of physicians because they are seen as people who can handle a lot of trauma, major events, etc. This entire concept needs to come to an end because without specific programs being implemented that will allow these doctors and physicians to get good help when they need it. Without it, we will continue to witness the consequences of mental health problems as seen with the families of Dr. Jolley and Dr. Breen. With this being said, it was noted in the article that some states had started the change in their medical systems for mental health, such as helplines, programs, and many more. With small changes like these, it will result in more people starting to take interest and not fear the aspects of stress, mental problems, trauma, and PTSD behind the medical field. There will be an uprise of new medical students along with patients receiving better and safer care if the doctors and nurses are taken care of. Mental health has constantly been seen as a sign of weakness when it should be a sign of strength taken by admission boards/interviewers, that the applicant/doctor/physician is able to reach out for help before the pain within themselves begins to inflict on their patients and people in need of help.
After hearing a little bit about Simone Biles and her withdrawal from the Olympics, reading "Gymnast Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career," gave me good insight as to what she was going through. Mental health is so important, especially when it comes to people who experience loads of pressure from almost aspect of their life. What Biles and other athletes did was a brave move as well as a risky one. While many people supported her decision, there were a lot of people who were upset with it. Many people tend to think that athletes or people with fame are not humans but vessels for their entertainment. The immense pressure to just be great but have no emotion is absolutely insane. Especially for people in the African American community, we are always expected to bottle up negative emotion and "be strong" when it just is not that easy. What Simone Biles did can push so many athletes to focus on their mental health, and even though some may not respect that, it will be better for athletes in the long run. Mental health is real, and it is a struggle. It can be hard to understand, but it happens to almost everyone. People really should start to realize that the pressure that they put on athletes is immense, and sometimes they need a break from that pressure, and that is okay.
Donovan Dooley writes in the article, “Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career” that her strength is unmeasured, and she made a courageous decision to step back from the Olympic games. Dooley is right: mental health is important, and Simone made the right decision. If Simone’s mind was not in a safe space and she continued to compete, she would likely have hurt herself. Something that I am sure a lot of my peers have heard from coaches, teachers, etc. is “push through”. Of course, when we are exercising and drilling in practice or class, pushing ourselves is the way to become better. However, there is a difference when it comes to the Olympics. The entire world is watching your every move, and that amount of pressure is tremendous. Furthermore, as Dooley states, “And to do this as a Black woman in the world’s spotlight makes it even more impressive.” The world, specifically men, are more dependent on women and BIPOC women than we realize. As author Farida D. explains, many men feel entitled to women’s bodies, choices, labor, and voices. These women are representing a country that has marginalized and discriminated against them for centuries. They do not owe anything to anyone.
Simone Biles article:
Simone Biles has been considered the “GOAT” of gymnastics for a long time, and she has always been well deserving of that title. However, there is only so long that someone can go without all of that pressure getting to them. A title like that is certainly amazing, but it also meant that she would let the world down if she lost. That means that eventually her motivation wouldn’t come from her love of gymnastics, or the support of the world. It would come from the fear of failure and letting the world down, which must be extremely difficult to deal with mentally. On top of that, Olympians are constantly being bombarded with the protocols of the pandemic, which must add a huge amount of stress to the already stressed out athletes. The end of the article says that Simone stepping away for mental health could have saved lives. This may seem like an overstatement at first, but when you realize how many people look up to her, it makes sense that people will feel empowered to put their mental health first, like Biles did. I hope that this is the case, because people are constantly feeling like they just need to push through it, especially athletes.
Doctors’ mental health article:
It is no secret that being a doctor is a very stressful and time consuming job. Yet, there are systemic barriers in place that discourage and prevent doctors from seeking mental health help. This system should actually be reversed. Doctors should be required to see therapists regularly. I agree with the article when they mention that they often refer to doctors getting “burnout,” but that term almost victimizes the doctors. Using the term “burnout” implies that when doctors have been working too much and for too long, they will deteriorate. Doctors, just like anyone in high stress environments, need to be receiving care throughout their jobs. When it comes to the long hours of doctors, it can be easy for people like me who aren’t involved in healthcare, to just say that their shifts should be shorter. However, long shifts can be because of being understaffed, or that more mistakes happen if patient information is constantly having to be exchanged from one doctor to the next. So although doctors definitely work shifts that are too long, more needs to change than to just say to make their hours shorter. The pressure on doctors is extreme and constant, so mental health help needs to be welcomed not discouraged. In addition, the mental health problems of doctors are not just anecdotal. There is clear evidence that suicide rates and mental health issues are far too high amongst doctors.
The article, "The doctors are not all right", by Julia Belluz was extremely shocking and informative. A healthcare system that punishes healthcare workers for seeking mental health help is inherently toxic and dangerous. More states should introduce laws to prevent mental health issues and burnout in healthcare workers. It is surprising that these doctors suffered in silence, and any attempt to reach out for help held consequences to their career. The stigma around mental health issues that it is a sign of weakness or a disability, is a misconception that harms countless people around the world. It is jaw-dropping to see the statistics on doctor suicide per year. These doctor’s sacrifices shouldn’t be in vain, more countermeasures against healthcare worker burnout and mental health issues should be implemented as well as taking out the punishment that mental health issues bring to people who work in healthcare. Hospitals and states need to realize that doctors are humans too and deserve basic rights such as being able to seek mental health help. What Dr. Jolley, Dr. Breen, and countless others had to go through is unforgivable and should be prevented at all costs. If hospitals can’t save their own staff, the people that make miracles happen and save countless lives everyday, who can they save?
In “The Doctors Are Not All Right,” it was frightening to see how medical workers have to struggle in silence because they do not want to lose their license. Doctors already enter their fields stressed because they had to go through undergrad, medical school, and residency just to start working and then are expected to work 18 hour shifts and save as many lives as possible. It’s bizarre how they are expected to save so many lives, but medical boards do not care about the life of the doctor. The stigma pertaining to mental illness needs to end; how can it be believed that a doctor with a mental illness cannot work well when that forces them to just ignore their pain and just allow it to become more severe? It is well known that the pandemic has been stressful for everyone, yet the workers fighting this pandemic are not given any relief. No job should have the ability to harm someone’s well-being, so the medical field needs to change. Doctors spend their whole lives helping other people, but they deserve to have a life outside of work, which many doctors do not have. Doctors have to waive their medical privacy rights and can be seen as weak or bad doctors if they’ve been treated for a mental condition. However, being treated for a mental illness should not be considered a bad thing, as it means that the doctor was honest with themselves and knew they needed help, and getting help will allow them to live healthier lives. Overall, I hope that the medical field changes and that mental health is no longer seen as a taboo subject.
The first article about Simone Biles' decision to drop out of the team competition in the Olympics is an inspiring story that educated the world about the importance of mental health. This happened to many other prominent players like Naomi Osaka, personally my favorite female tennis player, and Simone Manuel. Mental health is a commonly overlooked issue that isn't taken into notice as often as other issues/disabilities; social media platforms do not do much to spread these ideas. Nevertheless, Simone Biles is a highly respectable and talented individual who has many followers from across the globe that are inspired by her actions. Looking up to her as a role model, many younger individuals are impacted by her choice to choose herself over a medal. This courageous act encouraged others to do the same and focus on their mental state before moving on with their work or lives. After all, without the right mindset, how are you expected to do or live your best? At the end of the day, we are all humans with our own stresses and problems to worry about. It can be as small as passing a test or even as big as winning a gold medal for your country's namesake. Many teenagers or young adults suffer from similar states to since the high school/ college period can be very stressful or overwhelming. Even though these worries and stressful times will always be present in anyone's life, Simone Biles has made a huge impact for now which has truly saved lives.
Unlike the previous article, sometimes it's too late to step back and focus on your mental health. Unfortunately this year on February 19th, 2021, a hardworking, dedicated physician, Dr. Scott Jolley, committed suicide. This is one example of how mental health is not talked about or taken care of enough. It's ironic how becoming a doctor to save lives ended up taking one in the process. Years are spent preparing and learning about this profession through school and college and even when your education is finished, you still work hard throughout your job to help treat patients; it's no easy task. With this being said, it takes a tremendous amount of work and dedication to get through it and with the Covid-19 pandemic added in addition to it, it can be overwhelming and industrious. Having one of the toughest professions is no joke to the stress and tiredness added to one's life which can result in a downfall of their health, whether it is physical or mental. This situation was similar to another physician, Lorna Breen, who also tragically committed suicide in April, 2020. Burnout and exhaustion is a common thing that isn't taken into much consideration to one's health. If health clinics in countries around the world look into such situations more often, then the world can be careful and avenge the deaths of our amazing physicians whose lives were lost because of the stress of their profession. Let's hope that the message of mental health is finally being known and acknowledged throughout because of their tragic stories so such things won't happen once again.
This week I read the article, “Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career” by Donovan Dooley. Simone Biles is an extremely successful and talented gymnast. She spends hours working hard and training for the Olympics, so for her to withdraw from the competition is a very big deal and she was definitely going through some difficult things. A lot of people have given her hate for this decision, but personally, I agree with what she had to say. As stated in the article, her reason for stepping down was, “because she wasn’t in the right mental headspace to continue.” This is very important because she needs to focus on herself and make sure her mental health is okay. If she is not in the right headspace, she could easily injure herself while competing, and cost her team a medal as well as ruin her career. Mental health is a huge issue and it is crucial to take care of yourself. I cannot imagine how hard this decision was for her because of all the pressure she gets from the media. Simone Biles was very brave for doing this because she knew she would receive a lot of backlash for this decision, but she cared more about her well-being and put herself first.
Being in the Olympic Games is a big achievement for an athlete, but there is a lot of competition between others. The pressure to win takes a great toll on the athlete’s mental health. If they are not in the correct mindset it can cause them to perform poorly. This was the same situation that gymnast Simone Biles was in and she chose to withdraw from the team competition. In my opinion, this was a better decision because it is better to withdraw from competition rather than hurting your mental health. Mental health is more important than winning in the Olympics and being in the correct mindset is crucial for an individual’s success, especially for athletes. If athletes ignore their mental health they could end up injuring themselves and it could end up having big consequences. I believe that other athletes should take inspiration from Biles to better their mental health and to prevent them from making bad decisions. Even if it cost her team the gold medal, Simone Biles is one of the best athletes to compete in the Olympics because of her decision to choose her health as her priority.
The second article addresses the issue of how doctors are not getting the mental health support they need. This is a huge issue for everyone because doctors are the ones who help us when we are not in good health. If doctors themselves can’t get help in times of need, then who will be there to help everyone else? It is a pity that doctors get shamed for getting mental health because after all, they are humans too. Many doctors are failing themselves because of the “rules” society has put in place. To make matters worse the pandemic caused many doctors to feel constricted and stressed. The extreme pressures the past years have put on doctors is more than we could have imagined. All of these aspects have made a cooking pot for medical professionals. To prevent doctors from harming their mental health, I believe that people need to be informed on this crisis for the better of all doctors around the world.
This week I read "Simone Biles Just Made The Most Impressive Move of Her Career." Simone Biles is known to be one of the top gymnasts in the world as she has earned 4 gold medals in the olympics and she was crowned "Best Female Athlete" at the 2017 ESPY awards. Simone Biles and her team of gymnasts entered this years olympics with a new goal in mind and that was to prove the world that they are capable of being the best team of rookie gymnasts. However, after some time in Tokyo, Biles decided to withdraw from the competitions as she was dealing with many mental problems. It is arguably one of the best decisions of Biles career as an athlete. Most athletes are raised with the mentality of being the best, and that they have to "persevere even when you're at your weakest." Biles decided to define her career by her own rules and withdrew due to her problems. Biles was under immense amount of pressure and therefore she might not have performed at her best. Many fans were let down and angry and many fans supported her decision. However, Biles knew that if she decided to push through she would not have performed at her best and she would let the country down. In the end, her decision was the for the better as Suni Lee took over for Biles and won a gold medal for America.
Therefore, mental health is definitely something that should be taken into account with any occupation of career. Especially with workers in the medical field. For example Dr.Jolley was facing many mental problems as he battled the pandemic alone in his hospital. He was overworked and stressed out day in and night out. He even considered retirement, but he had to keep pushing through although his mental capacity couldn't take much more. So if mental health can not be taken into account then how are we supposed to give our best efforts at everything we do?
Physician burnout: The entire article focuses and emphasizes on the current medical system that is not considering the mental health of the professionals who are constantly risking their lives to save others and needs to be changed. The things that happened to Dr. Jolly, Dr. Breen, and the countless other doctors who suffered silently lead to their own deaths is what should be startling to the medical officials and should help create a better system where doctors could ask for help and could get the help they need. Without getting the help they need, they might make medical errors which can be dangerous for their patients. The misunderstanding around mental health was created over several years, which made people think of mental health as a weakness. However, I feel those people are so strong, and not necessarily weak. Without getting rid of this idea, we will continue to witness the consequences of mental health problems as seen with Dr. Jolley and Dr. Breen, as well as their families in the article, I noticed helplines and programs for mental health. With small changes like these, it will lead to people starting to take interest in the medical field and not fear the aspects of stress, mental problems, trauma, and more.Therefore, I strongly believe that mental health comes first and everyone should take the time to take care of themselves mentally, even though it could be extremely hard at times.
Only recently have we been getting better as a society when it comes to dealing with mental health in general. Seeking help or treatment for mental illnesses used to be disrespected at a rate far worse than it is today, but this article showed that this progress has not been matched in the healthcare field. It is unacceptable that doctors have been put in a position where they feel like they must sacrifice their own well-being in order to keep practicing medicine. The medical boards and states need to do a better job of supporting their doctors, especially during extra stressful times, such as the pandemic. It would make more sense to provide physicians with more access to mental health care because when physicians are healthy, they will be able to provide the best care possible. No one can expect doctors to save other people’s lives with top level care if they themselves are struggling. Although it should not be their responsibility to be the ones to bring about change, more doctors need to fight against the mental health stigma as they will be able to bring personal experiences to the conversation that will show the true hardships physicians are facing. Overall, no one should be restricted from doing what they need to in order to maintain their mental well-being, especially workers in health care who endure stresses that few other people can relate to.
Article 1-Simone Biles: As most people were, I was following the news of the Olympics and different events. The majority of the feedback from the public was positive; "They performed so well" or "At least they tried their best". But once Simone announced her mental health break, all that positivity was gone. Many athletes pride themselves on their wins or how many competitions they've won, and that's all the public sees, a winning persona. Simone took a risk by showing what goes on behind the scenes, and that was the bravest thing. She showed others that it's okay to take a step back and it's okay to put yourself first. As a role model to so many, she should be praised for this. However, the internet has said that Simone was weak or that she shouldn't be such a high level gymnast. But knowing this, Simone still decided to take a break for her safety and her teams', which should always be commended.
Article 2- Mental Health in Physicians: Going into this article, I strangly wasn't shocked by the statistics and data for physician burnout/suicide rates. What did shock me, was the fact that the reason many doctors do not seek treatment is due to the fear for their jobs. Surprisingly, mental health is seen as a stigma or joke in a profession that relies on helping others. It's shameful that doctors need to care more about their jobs rather than focusing on their health first. Dr.Scott Jolley's case was so disappointing and the fact that the UEP repeatedly denied his requests for another doctor to help him is terrible. Medical Boards need to do more to protect and care for doctors, especially during the pandemic.
I read the article about physician burnout. I find it incredibly sad that the people who help society with its health problems (mental and physical) are also being denied that same help. If anything, doctors are some of the most deserving people of mental health help, yet systematic pressures prevent them from reaching out and addressing their mental health problems. I had always known that doctors have one of the most stressful jobs, but it never occurred to me how alarming the doctor suicide rates are and how the pressures of the job can affect ones brain function. The fact that doctors are forced to choose between their license and their mental health is unacceptable. Even in this day and age, when mental health is becoming a more accepted and open topic, people are still being pressured by society to hide their problems for fear of shame and more stress. If this article has cleared one thing up for me, it’s that there is still so much stigma against mental health issues, even (ironically) within the medical field (concerning the doctors). There is still more work to be done when it comes to bringing awareness to mental health issues. If our own doctors are not in their best mental and physical state, how can they be expected to help others? Doctors must be even more stressed and anxious with the addition of the pandemic, so it is even more crucial that these issues are talked about if we as a society want to be able to take care of each other better.
Mental health…. An aspect of our lives that is often overlooked and not talked about enough. The article “Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career” by Donovan Dooley discusses an incredible and accomplished athlete taking a stand against the societal norms that deprive a person the ability to care for their own personal wellbeing and mental health. Too often in our society do we hear the words ``deal with it” and “just push through it” when dealing with stressful situations - but the truth is, not everyone can just push through every issue in their lives. Every person deals with different challenges and circumstances in their lives - and each challenge will take a toll on people, no matter how big or small the issue may seem. These tolls, if not treated accordingly, can leave harsh repercussions on people. In Mrs. Bile’s case, she faced the challenge of not only competing in the Olympics, but also carrying the weight of people’s high expectations and goals for her - these challenges in turn took a toll on her mental health and threatened her well being. In response to this, Simone made the choice that ensured her well being and prevented any issues that would threaten her mental health. This courage has truly paved a way for future athletes to make the same decision in regard to their mental health - without worrying about what other people may think. All in all, I hope that we can all learn from Simone’s courageous and necessary stand for herself and her wellbeing - like Mr. H said, “no class, no grade, no test score, is worth your mental health and well-being”. I hope that in the years to come, mental health will be more seriously addressed and not judged as harshly as it is now.
The second article, “The doctors are not all right” by Julia Belluz was truly heartbreaking to read as well as quite angering. It angers me that people who sacrifice their lives and time to ensure the wellbeing of others are not allowed the same wellbeing when they are the one in need. It appalls me that these medical professionals actually get punished for considering and caring for their mental health, despite constantly caring and putting others before themselves. It troubles me that doctors can’t receive the help they need due to the fear imposed on them by medical boards and hospital systems. However, once I read the sentence that Jolley took his own life, I truly realized the extent and severity of untreated mental illnesses - it makes me wonder, how many healthcare workers are struggling on the inside, but can’t seek help or even tell anyone, due to the fear of losing their license. How many more healthcare workers are going to have to take their lives before people realize the importance of one’s mental health and how they need to assist and not deter healthcare workers from getting the help they need. People who give their lives to serving and helping others should not be treated this badly. Honestly, my entire life I have been set on becoming doctor and using my life to help save the lives of those in need, however, after seeing how horribly treated doctors are - not only makes me sick to my stomach, but makes me wonder if I really should be giving my life to such a horribly put in place hospital system. Too many people take for granted doctors and healthcare workers… It saddens me that we live in a world where those who live to help and aid others in any way they can, are the same ones that receive the least amount of help and subsequently live in constant fear and pain. I pray that in the near future, that doctors no longer have to live in fear when seeking help for their mental wellbeing - but like the article states, this change can only be achieved if mental health questions are removed from everywhere doctors face them. In conclusion, these 2 articles have taught me the importance of mental health and how one’s well being should never be taken lightly.
The article I read was "The doctors are not all right" by Julia Belluz. This was very shocking to read for me, as the very people that are saving lives and helping others are not given the same help when they need it. Doctors live rigorous, fast-paced lives, and so their mental health and wellbeing are often left out of the picture due to their jobs. To be exposed to trauma and live under intense pressure and be punished for trying to get help is completely unacceptable. It is also staggering that Dr. Jolley was afraid of losing his medical license and credentials because he wanted to slow his schedule down and take time for himself and his mental health! Our society is just beginning to accept mental health and openly talk about it, and yet people are still fearful of the reactions that might come from them admitting that they need help. With this pandemic, doctors are facing more pressure and stress as more patients come into their hospitals and offices every day, and this added stress can lead to complete burnout. The high suicide rate of physicians was eye-opening to me, and it shows that the pressure these physicians face every day is unfathomable. As a society, we need to do better to accommodate everybody's needs, and help our physicians.
After reading the article it truly opened my eyes hearing about the doctor. I had never even heard a single news report or article on how our healthcare workers had such a massive toll being put on their minds and bodies. I always knew it would be hard but not to this extent. The fact that there is no recognition of this issue either is truly sad. No one seems to care that the very people who are working so hard to save others lives are suffering from it. They silently suffer until they can't anymore and yet it's never been talked about. They never tried to spread awareness to sage them because they truly are good people and deserve to be saved by us as they work so hard to save us every day. I think that there should be some form of free therapy for all medical workers and maybe even psychological evaluations semi annually or annually to make sure they are ok. They need to know that people do care about them and we should offer some form of help for all of them. Especially the way we put them through very tough predicaments and some have to choose between their own health and their job it's horrifying. Doctors should take a high place in mental health Along with veterans etc. I don't mean to sound like everyone doesn't matter as much, because they all do but if our doctors aren't able to stay mentally stable they won't be able to do their job as well and that could lead to people getting hurt and not being able to be saved. I think that we should not be making it unacceptable for a doctor to be depressed and stripping them of their licenses because of that. We are effectively beating them while they are down and just giving them another reason to take their life instead of helping them. We shouldn't make it where their mental state could mean the end of their career because that fact will always stick in their head and give unnecessary stress to them.
Nishan Nayak: The first article I read was titled “Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career.” After hearing many people say that Simone Biles was weak for not toughing it out, looking for attention, or just finding an excuse for her less than expected performance, this article was a breath of fresh air when it came to the issue. It is important that Simone Biles took this break because her mental health means so much more than her performance. I can relate to her a lot, especially when she said “It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head.” Although I have not experienced the level of pressure she has, I empathize with how easy it is to be your own worst enemy. This occurs to me the most when I’m doing school work or comparing myself to others (even though I try not to). It’s so easy to criticise my performance and think that I’m not doing well enough. Even worse, sometimes I say, “I’m not trying hard enough” when that is obviously not true. It’s very easy for people to be toxic to themselves and fall under the weight of their own expectations. It makes me happy to see that Simone Biles decided to not listen to this worse side of herself, and take the break she needed. Had she given in and believed “I’m not working hard enough” she might have ended up hurting herself in a lot more ways than losing a medal. This article has taught me an important lesson on backing off and relaxing, even if it feels like I can’t. The first goal for everyone should be to treat yourself right.
The second article “The doctors are not all right” brought up some concerns for me since I plan to go into medicine in the future. I was shocked to hear about the statistics for suicide and the actual stories of it from physicians. I was horrified to hear how intrusive questions could be about mental health and how afraid people were of repercussions for seeking proper mental health. It made me realize one of the biggest problems with not only the medical field, but society in general, the connotation we give mental health. When people need to take breaks for mental health, we automatically assume that the person is going through the worst of the worst. This in turn, affects our judgement of them. How can people possibly seek mental health, if they are getting anxiety about how they will be perceived for it? This stigma has affected physicians, because they believe that people won’t see them as capable due to their need for help. I find it disgusting that higher ups in the medical field are doing so little to address concerns. They are moving so slowly, that it might be too late to save lives. This article also had a profound effect on how I see my potential future in medicine. I’ve already accepted that it will be hard, but I have not seriously considered what that difficulty could mean for my happiness yet. From this article, I learned that I can’t put off being happy. It would be easy for me to say in my education “just a few more years and then it's over.” Mental health doesn’t work like that, if I put off being happy for too long, the stress and negativity will just build up and implode. Although this article has not dissuaded me from going into medicine, I realize now that sometimes I have to stop being an overachiever and learn to take a break. Throughout medical school and residency (if I end up getting there) I need to stop trying to be a perfectionist and just relax. Medicine will be a hard path, but if I listen to myself and not my ambition, then I can live a successful and happy life.
I chose the article ‘Mental Health and Covid-19: How the US healthcare system fails doctors’ by Julia Belluz. In my opinion, mental health is the most important thing compared to anything else. It is surprising to me that the medical board didn’t care about how much the doctors struggle in order to do their job properly and therefore, only care about the money they get. In this world, people tend to care more about money and luxuries and couldn’t care less about how people are being affected mentally. Many people struggle with these mental diseases and this shows the need to change. The unfortunate event, where Dr. Jolley thought the only way to end his pain and the weight of work on his shoulders was ending his own life, should tell the medical board something. In my opinion, this is a huge deal, and is concerning how disappointing it is for something like this to happen. This article showed a different perspective on covid-19, not just about the disease spreading throughout the population but how it mentally affects people, especially healthcare workers, which is extremely important because it shows the humane side. The medical programs should change in order to give workers the help they need, because they sacrifice themselves to save the lives of others.
I read the article titled “The doctors are not all right,” by Julia Belluz. This article was very eye opening for me. Personally, I have many family members who are doctors, and seeing what they have to experience in hospitals and during the pandemic was very interesting. Doctors save lives and they help others but they are also subject to many problems. During the COVID-19 pandemic many doctors around the world have had to shoulder the stress of going to hospitals to save lives while also having to keep their families safe from the virus. The mental health of doctors, as the article emphasizes, is tremendously undervalued and is an integral part in their daily lives. In the article it states that many physicians who work under intense pressure and are exposed to trauma may end up taking their own lives. This took me by surprise. I never could have believed that the mental health of doctors was in such a dire state. I believe in the past year, due to the stress placed on the healthcare workers all around the world many knew cases of emerging and developed instances of mental health issues and suicide have become more common throughout the world. One more statistic that caught me by surprise was the fact that the DNA of doctors age almost six times as fast as their non physician peers and depression has affected nearly a third of doctors around the world. When the shifts of doctors can exceed 24 hours then doctors will never be able to relax with their families. The frequency of errors in medical treatment will diminish as doctors are able to receive more breaks and more care for their mental health issues. This in turn can improve the efficacy of healthcare around the world and create a more able health care system.
The article “Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career” is about Biles decision to take a break and focus on her mental health. She is arguably the best gymnast in history, she probably experiences immense pressure to do better and continue being the best. All athletes push themselves, push their bodies limits to achieve their goal, but sometimes it is just unbearable. By dropping out of the Olympics and showing her vulnerability, she inspired many to focus on their mental health. The article “Doctors are not all right,” displays the distressing aspect of working in the healthcare industry through Dr. Bullock and Dr. Jolley. The experience that these two doctors and definitely many more went through is completely unfair and unjustifiable. Dr. Bullock had a process of drug and psychiatric testing, even when he was a great candidate for the job and Dr. Jolley could not retire when he needed to. Doctors and nurses are working way too many hours and are under immense pressure, even more with the COVID-19 pandemic. The healthcare system is messed up, doctors help and save people’s lives, but they are not allowed to help themselves or receive help. In fear of losing their license, many will probably not seek help. Untreated depression is correlated with an increased risk of medical errors. Everyone wants what is best for the patient, which is only possible if doctors have good mental health.
Vasista Banala: The first article, “Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career”, was an interesting read because of how people are conflicting over her personal decision. Some people believe that she made a decision that betrayed the US’s chance to get a gold medal, and that she should have just “toughed it out”. However, there was one line in this article that I believe really ends the argument: “No matter how much people want to put athletes into a separate category because of their physical prowess, they can’t ignore the fact that these individuals are human beings first and foremost”. Other spectators believe that to be an athlete at the Olympics, they should get judged for every decision because they are supposed to be the embodiment of their nation. The fact that they are also human beings with personal issues seems to be blatantly ignored. They still face the great pressure of being the symbol for the nation. In addition, the pandemic in this past year creates another dilemma, as it has increased depression and affected the mental state of many individuals, regardless of whether they were an athlete or not. Biles made a decision that she knew would be criticized, but also the one she needed to make, as it is not worth risking your mental health for another medal. She is also one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of the Olympics, so she has every right to make her own decision about her personal life. This hard yet brave decision could also help many people now to make sure that they worry about their own mental health, rather than sacrificing it for the rest of society. Personally, I have faced times where I have had to push through my emotions, whether it is on the court or in school, where my mental health was at risk in pursuit of my own personal ambitions. I wish I could have made the same decision Biles made to help me in the long run and preserve mental health.
In the second article, “The doctors are not all right”, it gave a new perspective to the field of medicine. Most people see doctors as somewhat superheroes, with the ability to save lives. They are the most respected individuals in society, so it was a shock to see that they faced mental health issues and even contemplated suicide. They deserve the same care and attention as their patients, without the need to show a stronger facade. A lot of times, high schoolers also keep a facade to cover their mental health issues, especially from friends and family, so that they can seem like a better person. These emotions start to bundle up inside of people and without having a proper outlet, can burst with catastrophic results. For me, I usually release my pressures and pent up emotions through sports. Others might enjoy watching television, boxing, or reading books, to make sure that they have hobbies that allow them to maintain a proper mental state.
“The doctors are not all right: Doctors need mental health support, but the medical profession often punishes them for getting it.”
While I expected doctors such as those that work in departments such as emergency ones to have mental health issues and need support for it, I never thought that there would be stigma around doctors getting mental health care. I especially would have never thought that doctors could get punished for seeking mental health care as the article’s title states. In addition, it was surprising that 17 states asked broad questions about doctors' mental health as some of the answers that they get may not even have anything to do with how they do their jobs. For example, Dr. Justin Bullock’s extremely invasive assessment seemingly had nothing to do with his job, and his performance at work was very obviously not affected by his mental health.
Even more surprising was the suicide rates of physicians. It's sad how so many people who dedicate a lot of their lives to helping other people die due to not being able to get mental health care. This article especially is sad as I will and have met many people aiming for the medical field, and how one of them could potentially be negatively affected by the stigma around doctors getting mental health care.
The article I read this week was “ The doctors are not all right” by Julia Belluz. I chose this article because I know that ever since the pandemic started, doctors have been under tremendous amounts of stress and pressure, and I looked up to all of them risking their lives. While most people were ordered to stay home and protect themselves from COVID-19, doctors had to continue to go to work and put themselves at risk of catching the disease. One thing that I found unsettling is that doctors are not encouraged to take time off, or get proper care for their mental health. I don’t know how somebody can expect a doctor to be responsible for the lives of many people on a daily basis if their own health is not taken care of. As I read about how Dr. Jolley was scared to get the treatment he needs, since it might compromise his medical license, I found it ironic. It is crazy how doctors are disregarded as people who also need medical treatments. Just because it is not a physical injury, does not mean that it should be ignored. It was heartbreaking to read how Dr. Jolley committed suicide. The same system that was meant to save lives ended up harming one. If Dr. Jolley did not have the immense pressure of keeping his mental health issues to himself, and if he felt comfortable seeking the help he needed, things might have been different. Another thing that I found interesting was how doctors as a whole are more likely to experience depression and other mental health issues. According to the article, by the start of residency, a physician's DNA was found to age 6 times faster than non-physicians. From med school and the crazy hours of residency, many young doctors experience burnout. With such a high likelihood of experiencing depression or burnout, I find it astonishing that there aren't enough resources and help for doctors who need care for their mental health. A burned out doctor might not be able to make the best decisions, and a patient’s life should not be in the hands of a doctor who is currently facing mental health issues. However, if the doctor gets the help that they need with no shame, they should be allowed to go back to practicing. If physicians are able to comfortably get the care they need, it can help tremendously with not only the health of the doctors, but of patients as well.
I read an article called “The doctors are not all right”, by Julia Belluz. This article reveals how the pressures of work affect the mental health of doctors by depicting the tragic stories of two doctors who took their own lives. The first story, which was about Dr. Scott Jolley, showed that as someone works in the medical field for a long time, they can accumulate stress and anxiety. In Dr. Jolley’s case, he loved his job until he settled in his 50s, when pressure and anxiety at work caused him to suicide. Another physician, Dr. Lorna Breen, suicided because she continued to work long hours after contracting COVID-19, putting the health of her patients over her own. This eventually made her paranoid that her mental health problems would make her a worse doctor, which also contributed to her suicide. Both of these stories revealed two shocking things in the medical field: the stigma against mental health care and the mental health questions asked by state medical boards. To me, the stigma against mental health care for physicians is shocking because being a physician is one of the most stressful occupations and every physician should do mental health care. Additionally, the mental health questions that 33 states ask doctors are intrusive and should not be used because they may stop doctors from getting mental health care.
The article, "The doctors are not all right" shines a light on the issue of the mental of health of our medical workers. This had been a growing topic of concern even before the Covid-19 pandemic. The article illustrates the dilemma through the stories of two doctors who took their lives due to stress at the workplace: Dr. Scott Jolley and Dr. Lorna Breen. Both were incredible, selfless people who put the lives of others before their own, but the amount of effort demanded from them, especially during the pandemic, was simply overwhelming. The article continues to provide statistics and examples to depict how large of a problem this is, claiming that around 119 doctors take their lives every year (which is likely an undercount). It states that suicide is considered an occupational hazard for doctors, though it should be taken far more seriously. The article claims that doctors do not receive the same sort of value in their profession as do police or firefighters. It even says that 1/3 of all doctors qualify for being depressed. Stress from things such as shifts that can last longer than a day and the risk of errors on the job have caused doctors to feel this way. However, asking for help is looked down upon in the medical field, as it is seen as imperfection in a field of perfection. Many doctors struggling with their emotions stay silent because of this stigma. Overall, this article really helped bring attention to the exponentially rising crisis of the mental health of some of the most important people in the world, especially right now: doctors.
The article I read was, "Simone Biles Just Made the Most Impressive Move of her Career." Simone Biles has always been one of my most favorite Olympic athletes. Her strength, positivity, and skill are amazing and should always be looked upon. She is a team player, and is always there for her teammates, and most importantly herself. This is why when the news of her dropping the Olympics for her mental sanity didn't surprise me. If she would've performed badly because of her headspace, it would've cost America and her personal score. I believe her when she talks about the immense pressure of being on the national team. Even at my smallest track meets I always see myself bubbling of anxiety. My nerves even sometimes get the most of me. This is a normal human reaction, and it is understood. Simone Biles shouldn't be getting the hate for choosing her mental health over the competition, because at the end of the day she's her own person. The mental health of all the athletes mentioned in the article should be looked over, rather than frowned upon. We are all humans who have a certain breaking point from pressure, we take in the competition different from each other, and are unique humans. Subsequently, the main thing that we all share is our humanity, which includes mental health. Every person goes through a different set of stress and issues. Before hating on these athletes for a bad game, or in Simone Biles's case dropping out of the competition, people should take into consideration their feelings. These people would've been at a bad place in their lives and needed the intervention to take a break. I always will believe and still believe that mental health is a major aspect of our overall fitness as humans, and it is necessary that we take care of it like how we take care of our physical health.
Articles: Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career
- This week I really liked the article I've read about how Simone Biles took a leave from the Olympics in pursuit of concentrating on her mental health. I agree with this decision that she made as a person's mental health is very important and is one of the most important things of all. Especially somethings as big as the Olympics can put anyone under a lot of pressure to begin with. It's good that Simone kept pushing through until she can. In the end, it shouldn't cost you damage towards yourself and this is why I agree with Simone taking a leave. Simone Biles stated,“I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being. We have to protect our body and our mind. It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head.” This was a quote said by Simone and it shows the true feelings and battles that were fought between her and her head. Besides something as big as the Olympics, mental health is important when it comes to anything such as school, work, or a hard struggle. You should always find a way that you desire, not what other people desires for you. An example of this would be if you have a huge test coming up soon and you set your goal to get an A. Although you are determined to study everyday for an hour, you still can't get through anything. In this case, if you are feeling a great sense of anxiety then you should take a day break and rest. This is how to preserve your mental health without affecting too much on the outside. Again, I really found this week interesting as I've got to see a example of this looking at the Olympics.
Both of these articles emphasize how important it is to take care of your own mental health.
The first article I read was about Simon Biles. I think what Simon Biles did was brave and set a great example for all other athletes and her fans. As an Olympian, a lot is expected from her, and the standard of expectations is set very high for professional athletes. Many athletes are under an immense amount of pressure, and even if they don't show it, it is affecting their mental health. There's a fine line between pushing yourself to be better and pushing yourself to the point where you will be burnt out. This ties into the fact that many students all deal with the same pressure in different ways. Many kids have expectations set for them, whether it be by their parents, or even themselves. But most kids will continue to push themselves while letting their mental health drain simply to have a sense of achievement, even if it costs them their mental health. It needs to be emphasized that it is ok to take breaks and put yourself first, which is exactly what Simon Biles did.
The second article I read was about doctors struggling with mental health and physician burnout. Throughout reading this article, I was surprised at how much doctors' mental health is not talked about more. It is so tragic that we lose many lives to suicide due to the mental stress that the doctors deal with. Additionally, doctors need to stop being overworked and their own health, whether it be physical or mental, needs to be taken care of. So many doctors and nurses are overworked which leads to their mental health deteriorating. Lastly, doctors shouldn't be asked intrusive questions about their mental health, which stops doctors from seeing professionals about their mental health problems.
This week, I read Dooley’s article on Simone Biles’ decision to step back from the Olympics, and Belluz’s article on the horrific mental impact of the stress of being a physician on doctors. As I kept up with the current events surrounding Biles and her decision to back out from the Olympics, I realized truly how much courage this action must have taken. Like the article said, the entire world was rooting for her to win a gold medal, and that much pressure can hurt the strongest of people. Like Biles, tennis player Naomi Osaka and swimmer Simone Manuel also found themselves overworked and decided to take a break from their respective sports for their own mental health. As expected, people around the world started to blame them for costing their respective countries championships and medals, instead of understanding the unbearable pressure put on their backs. As a society, we should start trying to understand mental health and its effects on the people around us, rather than treating it as a taboo subject. Mental health should be treated at the same level as physical health, rather than being undermined and regarded as “unnecessary”. Like Belluz narrated in her article, even people like physicians struggle from mental health issues because of the vast pressure on them to do everything perfectly. Growing up, I heard the same thing from many of my family members who are doctors. Every time I told them I wanted to work in the healthcare industry, they all recommended against it, saying that becoming a physician is not worth the stress of medical school, the career itself, and the unequal work-home life balance. I have seen the effects of the stress that comes with the career of a physician first hand, and I hope that we as a society can try to eliminate this vast amount of pressure that hurts doctors.
After reading the article about Simone Biles's decision to quit an event and athletes' mental health, I realized some things. The first thing I realized was how much of a toll mental issues take on people. After hearing that Simone Biles decided to not participate, I noticed there were a lot of comments mocking and insulting her. I was surprised to find out that many believed she was too "scared" to participate and that she was a disgrace to the country. I couldn't believe that so many people were dismissing mental issues and are instead blaming her for her decision. But by dropping out of the Olympics, she gives other athletes the chance to drop out due to mental health and gives a voice to those affected by mental issues.
I read the article, “The doctors are not all right,” by Julia Belluz. I found this article very surprising as I assumed that doctors would be used to the stress of their work and seek help as needed. Many doctors and nurses like Jolley and Bremen have been struggling mentally since the start of the pandemic. They have started to become even more stressed lately as COVID-19 is nearing it’s second year. Instead of being told to just “grin and bear it,” we should encourage hospital staff to reach out for the help they need just as they tell us to. When doctors try to reach out to get the help they need they are punished by being declared “medically unfit” and having their medical license restricted or even worse revoked. As a doctor, they are exposed to numerous traumatic incidents and asking them to bear the burden all by themselves is outrageous. The doctors that are brave enough to seek psychological help are being diagnosed with depression, anxiety, as well as PTSD. This may seem related to the pandemic, but this has been going on for the past few years in the medical field. Many students and doctors are overwhelmed by the amount of work and trauma that they have to face on the job. This is usually described as burnout by medical systems, but should be taken much more seriously. Being a doctor is a very hard profession, and not seeking help can be very harmful to the person and their family. Although I do not go through anywhere as much stress as doctors go through, it is understandable as a high school student. I am constantly bombarded with work but am forced to deal with it on my own by family and teachers. I hope that as time goes on, mental illness treatment is taken much more seriously in any profession.
Doctors need mental health support, but the medical profession often punishes them for getting it: Julia Belluz wrote an article titled "The Doctors Aren't All Right." This article depicts the terrible stories of two doctors who ended their own lives to show how work pressures damage their mental health. The first example, concerning Dr. Scott Jolley, demonstrated how working in the medical industry may lead to an accumulation of stress and worry. In the case of Dr. Jolley, he enjoyed his career until he was in his 50s, when pressure and worry at work drove him to commit suicide. Dr. Lorna Breen, another physician, committed herself after continuing to work long hours after contracting COVID-19, putting her patients' health before her own. This caused her to become worried that her mental health issues would make her a bad doctor, which contributed to her suicide. Both of these instances exposed alarming aspects of medicine, the stigma surrounding mental health care and the mental health questions asked by state medical boards. Medicine is one of the most stressful professions, and every physician should provide mental health care.
Simone Biles, a loved Olympic gymnast, pulled out of the 2021 Olympics due to her suffering mental health. The pressure that not only Simone Biles, but all Olympians face, is extreme. The stress that these athletes have on their back from not wanting to let down coaches, families and their countries is outrageous but not unreasonable. When Simone Biles stepped down from the event due to her mental state, it showed an act of courage and bravery. Although she had not wanted to let down her team and her fans, it was only right that she put herself first before an Olympic medal. Biles has heard both praise and negativity from viewers across the world but in my eyes, I think that it was a smart and necessary decision. Hopefully the decision impacted many other young boys and girls, reminding them that their mental state is more important than anything else.
Mental health has been a wide discussion recently. People of all ages, genders and occupations can face deteriorating mental health. In the article, “The doctors are not all right,”, a light is shown upon the (suffering) mental health of health professionals. I never realized how doctors’ mental health was put aside. As a society, we rely on doctors to help us when we are ill and in dire need of help, however there’s a stigma when we need to reciprocate that help back. The article focuses on Dr.Jolley, a physician that was pushed to his limits during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was of older age and during the pandemic, having to aid so many patients, he had so many burdens. Dr.Scott Jolley was unable to express his personal issuses, which resulted in in him, sadly, committing suicide. Dr.Jolley is just an example of the many medical professionals that deal with such mental burdens. It is unjust that the people who we rely on to keep us healthy cannot get the help that they need as well. There is already a stigma of getting help for mental matters and I can only assume that the stigma is worse for those in the medical field. I think it's important for everyone to get help if they are struggling. For those who do get help, it is not only a necessary step but an admirable step. It is not easy to fight social stigma, but it is crucial that people get the help they need.
In "Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career," Donovan Dooley glorifies the brave choice of gymnast Simone Biles. Dooley says that she is very brave for putting her mental health first since she had too much pressure and had to carry America's weight on her shoulders. I definitely agree with Dooley because mental health is extremely important and most people don't take it as serious as they should. I found this article informative because I read that a swimmer named Simone Manuel had to take time off of her training because she had Over-training syndrome caused her to suffer from depression and anxiety. The depression negatively affected her performance in the Olympics. This is another example of athletes putting their mental health first instead of risking their health for a gold medal. If I was in their shoes, I would definitely step down because I believe mental health is more important than any medal, prize, or money. No matter how athletic an athlete is, they are human beings first.
Simone Biles has always been a huge inspiration to me since my childhood. I remember growing up, watching videos of her doing all these complicated tricks and flips. Her dedication and passion towards gymnastics was always shown in her performances. When I heard about Biles withdrawing from the competition, it honestly shocked me to hear that it had to do with her mental health, mostly because she had never talked about it before. I was also astonished to see the amount of backlash she was getting with the public calling her “weak.” As Biles said in the article, she had always persevered through any of her hardships. For her to say that she needed to withdraw must have taken a lot of strength and I admire her for being able to do so. The next article showed just how important it is to be able to have the courage to speak up about your mental health. It breaks my heart to read all these articles regarding physician suicide. It surprises me that people in the medical field do not take mental health as seriously as they should. Being a doctor, one should know how serious the effects of mental health can be, and should acknowledge this rather than ignore it. The medical profession places a huge emphasis on saving lives; in reality by neglecting one of their own, they have lost a life instead. Mental health has always played a huge role in my life, especially in the day and age we live in. If you are not in the right state of mind, it can take a taxing toll on your body and affect you as well as others around you. I firmly believe that people should feel comfortable in expressing concerns regarding their mental health and their mental health should never be held against them in any situation. I hope in the future, we will learn from our mistakes and find ways to help physicians and others overcome their struggles rather than holding it against them.
Mental health is an aspect of our lives that people often overlook and undermine, which is why it is incredibly inspiring to see one of the most talented and beloved athletes of all time take hers into account. The article “Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career”,Biles made the brave choice to remove herself from the Olympics because she knew that her mental health was not in the right shape and would hinder her teammates’s chances. Similar to how someone poorly taking care of their physical health, such as not eating healthy or exercising daily, would have difficulty performing in performing rigorous tasks, mental health would cripple someone in the same way. Simone Biles, having to participate in Olympics with the eyes of everyone in the world on her, knew that her health would not allow her to perform her best, which is why she needed to withdraw. Because of the stigma around mental health, and the heavy expectations everyone put on her, I believe this was a very courageous and unselfish act that Biles took. This will inspire many other athletes and average people to take their mental health seriously and know when it is time to take a break, and to also allow others to breaks for themselves. For this noble contribution, Biles has already won the gold medal.
Article I chose: "Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career."
Before reading this article, I also heard that Simone Biles was dropping out of the team competitions in the Olympics but never found out her reasoning for it until now. I feel like this big decision she made sent out an important message about mental health, especially for athletes. Athletes like Simone are put under intensive pressure, and many individuals fail to realize that they are humans, too, not robots. In my opinion, mental health is one of the most critical aspects of our lives, and we have to keep it healthy, or it can ultimately deteriorate our health. After what Simone Biles did, I feel like athletes will not be scared to take a day off or drop out of a competition because, at the end of the day, you have the rest of your life to compete, and taking a day off will not hurt you. Mental health is a topic that should not go unspoken, and I feel like as more people like Simone Biles start addressing it, individuals will realize how important it is and how taking a day off for your own health and well-being is something we should not be scared of or criticize but instead embrace it.
"The doctors are not all right" by Julia Belluz is an informative article emphasizing the cruciality of maintaining your mental health. In this case, medical systems are being accused of overburdening workers by building up pressure and exhaustion within their lives. The author provides two firm examples where doctors take their own lives due to the substantial stress they have gained and the lack of mental health they have perceived. The first victim, Dr. Scott Jolley, had committed suicide with no signs of historical records on his mental illness. While reading his story, the number of hours he had to undergo in his shifts daily, was just absurd. Additionally, because the Utah Emergency Physicians declined Dr. Jolley's request on providing another doctor to assist him, more and more tension must've fallen onto his sleeves. The author also mentioned that he was afraid he was going to lose his career if he hadn't sacrificed this much of his mental health so, in other terms, he was kind of forced to constantly work and have an insufficient amount of sleep. It's sad to see such an innocent man, dedicating his life towards society, take his own life due to a massive breakdown in his mental health. A similar case had been witnessed with Dr. Lorna Breen, a New York City physician. She also experienced a tremendous amount of depression during the pandemic and could not tolerate it, thus, committing suicide. Her story wasn't as in-depth as Dr. Scott Jolley's was, but I can imagine the pain her family must have been in. After both incidents, I hope a new aspect has been recognized by medical associations, and hopefully, a solution can be implemented so more lives can be saved because not going to lie, it is kind of scary to read articles that have negative outlooks on your future dream profession, especially ones that have to deal with life-threatening situations. But one thing to keep in mind is that it is essential to maintain strong mental health and this was definitely an eye-opener for me and hopefully to others as well.
I read the article “The doctors are not all right” by Julia Belluz. I chose this article because I have relatives who are doctors and were working during the pandemic. At the time, I hadn’t realized how much the mental healths of working doctors were affected during the tougher times of the pandemic. Not only did they have to carry the stress of being exposed to a deadly virus, but they also had to ensure the safety of their family members when they returned home. This article made me more appreciative and really opened my eyes because I hadn’t realized how much pressure health care workers were put under. Something that the author mentioned in the article that really shocked me was that numerous health care workers who were working under hight levels of stress and exposed to the virus would result in committing suicide. This was shocking because of how little it is spoken about and how these doctors are too ashamed to get help because of their jobs. They should not be risking their mental health because it is seen as a sign of weakness though it shouldn’t. Finding out that their license was at risk if they asked for help from another doctor was something that also shocked me,. During the rougher parts of the pandemic, the media would only highlight how health care workers were exposed to the virus in dangerous ways. The article also states how a third of the doctors around the world have been diagnosed with a form of mental illness. While reading through the article, I realized how we do not consider the mental healths of the people who are trying to save our lives. The article successfully proves that we all focused on the physical effects COVID-19 had on health care workers but we looked past the mental effects it had on them. I was taken back by surprise when I learned that there were over 400 doctors who committed suicide and the news has not openly spoken about it. If this continues, I believe that there may be more cases of mental health issues similar to Dr. Jolley’s and Dr. Breen’s case. Though the media is not speaking about the matter, the article does state that numerous states in the US have begun changing their systems by making helplines, programs, and many more resources available to their doctors.
The doctors are not all right:
Out of all the summer assignments, this was the hardest article for me to read. As an aspiring doctor, the things that I read concerned me. I don't understand why physician health is not being supported. According to Oregon family doctor and mental health activist Pamela Wible, "...even a pet groomer is not allowed to work an eight-hour shift without breaks under Oregon labor law." So why is it that doctors and other healthcare workers, who save lives, work more than 24 hours without sufficient breaks? Many of my family members work as pharmacists and complain that they work around 15 hours without breaks. This is not only harmful for doctors, but it is also dangerous for patients. If a doctor is suffering, then patient health will be affected by the lack of help the doctor receives. Mistakes will be inevitable. These mistakes should not be considered a human error, but a system error. It is because of this system that pushes doctors over their limits that these mistakes would occur. It was only after many lives were taken that people started to take action. I really hope that these flaws will not remain a major concern for doctors. According to Jessi Gold, a Washington University psychiatrist who specializes in treating health workers, “Emotions, struggling, are an imperfection, and medicine is a field of perfection." Medicine shouldn't be a "field of perfection" it should be a field of support. It is what we rely on in our times of struggle. Doctors support and should be supported as well.
“The doctors are not all right” by Julia Belluz - Towards the beginning of Covid 19, when mask mandates and social distancing were at their prime, a huge nationwide appreciation of healthcare responders took place. We realized just how much of their aid and selflessness we needed to get through this pandemic. What shocked me about this article wasn’t the immense amount of stress and agitation the doctors face, but more so the lack of medical understanding towards those who actually make up the medical field. The whole situation, surprisingly enough, reminded me of a plane ride. At the start of any flight, no matter how near or far, the flight attendants guide the passengers through some safety precautions in case of an emergency. During their brief overview, they make sure to let every passenger know to help themselves with their own oxygen mask before helping any other passengers. This is because a) you can better help other people if you are taken care of first and b) because while helping others is always appreciated, if you stay to help everyone else and don’t put on your own oxygen mask, you will kill yourself. This same idea can be used for the doctors facing problems like these, worried that speaking out and trying to better themselves will only be rewarded with a lifelong punishment. Doctors are some of the first people to qualify for mental and psychological support due to the epic highs and lows they face during work. Having a patient die on your hands and immediately having to wipe away the pain and smear a smile across your face to provide reassurance to the next patient is not only exhausting, but it can also be destructive and injurious. To ease doctors into sharing their story and finding ways to cope should 100% start with a guarantee of keeping their medical license even if they feel the need to take time off to deal with their valid personal issues. A support group within major hospitals or even online software's could be utilized for doctors to help and learn from other people in the same profession. Making something like this less formal and more social may also make the whole idea of doctors also needing help socially acceptable and even admirable.
Amanda Vaysbukh
The article, "Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career", by Donovan Dooley addressed a topic I find very important. When following societal norms we tend to value success in whatever category we deem most important, over our own mental health. However, as more and more celebrities, athletes, and people in the spotlight discuss mental health the more it is normalized. Simone Biles is one of the worlds most famous gymnast. From competing in the Olympics to having her own movie, Biles is recognized for being a world class gymnast. This however does not mean the athletes mental health is perfect. Seeing the athlete give up the opportunity to compete in order to take care of her own mental health as well as ensure her mental health does not affect her physical health is so inspirational. What Biles did showed teens like me that as much as success is important, we need to take care of ourselves. If we are not enjoying what we are doing and if our mental health can get us hurt, we should value our mental health. At the end of the day there will always be another opportunity to compete, there won't be more time to save yourself. Simone Biles's decision to withdraw was extremely brave when considering the stigma around mental health, especially amongst athletes. Seeing such a beloved athlete take herself into consideration shows how important it is to start the conversation about mental health in order to remove the stigma. Had Biles competed with the U.S Olympic team in the condition she is in she could have gotten extremely hurt. Although mental health is an inner struggle, our symptoms can begin manifesting physically to an extent that can hurt us. The athletes choice was extremely brave and I am forever grateful to see such a talented athlete begin removing the stigma from mental health, by taking time for herself. I hope that one day the majority of people will not fear sacrificing their mental health for success.
This week, I read “Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career”. Any athlete that competes at such a high level is expected to face abundant pressure. Pressure to satisfy their fans, coaches, family, and most importantly themself. On top of this, Biles has to cope with the pressure of living up to this title that has formed since she has become debatably “the world’s greatest gymnast”. Probably being one of the most difficult decisions she’s had to make, I could only imagine how much strength it took for her to be able to take a step back and realize that she needed to do this for her wellbeing. Many gymnasts determine their value by their scores on the beam, vault, etc. Gymnasts are also humans, it’s essential to ensure for anyone that they are taking care of their mental health. Even though this decision was extremely controversial, Biles was able to prioritize herself. Her actions not only helped her out, but will help out future athletes. Biles has made it known that you should prioritize your mental health, it is vital. This is a game changer because other athletes will realize they should too and assess themselves. Biles withdrawing has become such a big discussion because decisions like these aren’t typically made, even though they are necessary for athletes to stay happy. Mental health issues do not just go away if you sleep on them, they deserve attention and help. For example, if someone broke their leg they wouldn’t just continue their daily activities, they would receive help. Her decision took lots of courage and I completely support her.
Simone Biles article:
Any athlete who competes at such a high level is bound to be under a lot of stress. They are under a lot of pressure to please their fans, coaches, family, and, most importantly, themselves. Furthermore, Biles must deal with the strain of living up to the moniker that has developed since she was dubbed "the world's finest gymnast." I will admit that I was pretty surprised at first with her to withdraw from such an important event but later on I was able to understand and see the thought process behind it and see how difficult and tough this decision must have been on her. Her deeds benefited not only her, but also future athletes. Biles has made it clear that your mental health should be a top priority. This is a game-changer since it will encourage other athletes to evaluate themselves as well. This is a real big example for other athletes to show them how important mental health is to a pro athlete and the stress it may cause.
After reading the article "Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career" it helped me gain insight on what Simone Biles was going through. Because she is an athlete competing in the olympics, the pressure is immense due to the expectations of her winning a gold medal again after winning gold from the Russian olympics. Anxiety piled up on Biles shoulders because of the high expectations people had for her mental health was suffering. Biles made a good decision choosing to not participate because of her mental health. Her performance and passion would of suffered because of the state of her mental health. If she did not win the gold medal many would be disapointed with her and she might even stop playing all together. Many people downplay mental health and look at athletes only to play the sports they do. Because of this, what Biles did was brave since she valued her own well being over playing the sport people watched. Everyone needs to know the value of someones mental health and respect their decisions.
- Arsalaan Zaki (Late comment)
article: Gymnast Simon Biles made most impressive move of career (were we even supposed to write on this)
Mental health is one of the most threatened aspect of life in the pandemic, with hundreds of millions of people being locked up inside for months, its no wonder depression rates are sky-rocketing. Ms. Biles' move of not competing in the gymnastic Olympic event set an example to everyone that ourselves, not our work, should be our primary responsibility. I myself have suffered from burnout, especially at the end of the last school year and know many friends who experienced the same and wanting to just sit down and stay there was the only thing on our minds. Taking time off to yourself and resting is as important as doing the work to improve yourself and your community. Simon Biles had been named the worlds greatest gymnast, and was usually expected by everyone to showcase her skills on the world stage at the Olympics, but by saying no to competing while not in a good mental state told other athletes that medals aren't worth mental damage.
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