Lots of people think that the stress of the Holidays comes from the Christmas rush, or that people stress out from the pressure of the season, like decoration, the Christmas turkey or ham, or picking out the perfect present to make family members happy. For some of us we aren’t so lucky as for our main source of stress to be what goes around the lighted christmas wreath, but a lot of other considerations. For physicians like me, the holiday stress doesn’t just disappear after Christmas day is over and the house is cleaned up. For doctors the holidays last 365 days a year, or really the holiday stress follows us everywhere.
Christmas is about giving, and changing lives. Doctors are forced to make life and death decisions on a daily basis on behalf of our patents. We make them happy, especially if we can detect hope for their illness. We also make them happy, even if treatment for their diseases is impossible, as long as they know we are doing our best in helping them adjust to their illness situation, and eventually help them accept death.
That’s why all the days of the year are like Christmas, and it really does make for a lot of stress on ones person, it’s a major thing when you’re being part of someone’s last breath. There are times, you can’t hold long by being strong in front of a dying patient, and what you can do is just to empathize, or better yet, get out of the room and keep the sorrow for yourself. That is very nerve-racking in my part. It’s true when I say that holiday stress can be very different when you’re a doctor, because you can’t run away from it, it becomes a part of everyday normal life. So this year when you’re sitting under the pre lit christmas tree just relax and think it could be worse.
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