The truth hurts

Some uncomfortable introspection

Hi 👋 friends,

🧠 ONE INSIGHT

I took some time out of my consultant job about a month ago. The first year as a consultant is tough for anyone, and I’ve spent the past few weeks trying to reflect on what has happened. In short, it’s clear that I’ve been completely burnt out. I felt somewhat similarly to this working in emergency medicine many years ago as a junior doctor, but never had I felt so professionally unhappy, hopeless and rather resentful since moving into psychiatry. I’ve hated that feeling, and I’ve felt lighter ever since I’ve taken some time away. The question is why. The truth about burnout is that there is rarely one cause.

I’ve enjoyed watching episodes of The Pitt on my YouTube channel and experimenting with some new video formats to see how it feels and what the response is. Some have worked well. Some have tanked. That’s the nature of the beast but every mini-experiment has been a helpful step forward to thinking about what I want next from this platform. Last week’s newsletter was about seeing yourself in patients (beautifully shown on the show). My reflection in the week since has been about seeing myself in some of these characters, specifically circling the drain of burnout and the pressure to just keep going, the inertia of the default path of what medical careers are supposed to look like and asking myself whether my decisions are about making me happy or about meeting other people’s expectations.

I don’t have the answers yet, and that’s ok. I’m still figuring it out. My main takeaways so far are that I was right to walk away for a bit, have zero intention of rushing back and I don’t know what I was thinking by not having taken some proper time off after mum died last year. Stayed tuned to see what I do next. I’m not quite sure other than the priority is to enjoy the journey, create a career with flexibility and continuing my YouTube channel as I have been relishing having a creative outlet.

Who am I?

Hi 👋 friends, thank you so much for subscribing to my newsletter. I’m Elliott, a doctor and psychiatrist in the UK I make content about mental health 🧠 and mental illness 👨‍⚕️ trying to help improve our understanding of mental health and documenting my own personal and professional journey along the way. My hope is that by sharing what I have learned and what I continue to learn that it will also help you live a mentally healthier life.

ONE STRATEGY

I’m trying to be better at practising mindfulness. I’m an overthinker, and I find it really hard. Mindfulness is the practice of deliberately paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and without judgement. It means being fully aware of what you're doing, thinking, or feeling, rather than being distracted or caught up in thoughts about the past or future. I’ve been starting simple by focusing on breathing techniques, usually when around some form of nature. Try this.

· Inhale slowly for 4 seconds

· Hold your breath for 4 seconds

· Exhale slowly for 4 seconds

· Hold your breath again for 4 seconds

· Repeat for 1–2 minutes

If you have any suggestions or techniques that work for you then I’d love to hear about them.

ONE MINDSET SHIFT

Instead of thinking “I’m failing” ask yourself “If I wasn’t in a rush, what would success be to me?”

Be compassionate and forgiving to yourself. See change as an opportunity for growth and recalibrating what you want for you, not what you think will reduce external stress, conflict and pressure by excessive people pleasing. Prioritise you because the harsh truth is, you’re probably the only person who is putting you and the top of their priority list. Maybe not even then…

ONE RESOURCE

Book: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. There is nothing revolutionary in this book, but it’s a very well written accessible self-help book that encourages you to focus on what you can control and practising self-compassion without overcomplicating it.

TV: Bojack Horseman. BoJack Horseman is an animated dark comedy about a washed-up 1990s sitcom star, BoJack, navigating depression, addiction, and fame in a surreal world of humans and anthropomorphic animals. The show explores themes of mental health, identity, and redemption with sharp satire, emotional depth, and unexpected poignancy.

Song: Lovesick Lullaby by Yungblud. The lyric “I want to feel good emotions” stood out to me. Are there good and bad emotions? Or just pleasant vs. unpleasant, or dare I say lesser appreciated and lesser tolerated emotions?

ONE QUESTION FOR YOU

If you weren’t in a rush, or didn’t have a to do list, what would you do today?

Hit reply or jot it down for yourself. That’s where the growth is.

Let’s Connect

▶️ YouTube: / drelliottcarthy
📸 Instagram: / dr.elliott.carthy
🎥 TikTok: / drelliottcarthy
👨‍💻 Linkedin: / elliottcarthy
🌍 My website: https://www.drelliottcarthy.com

Before you go…

I’d love to know if any of this resonated with you. Leave a comment if you’re comfortable sharing x

Do check out my deconstruction of how addiction is beautifully depicted on Bojack Horseman. Love you bye!