Divorce, Alcohol and Rough Patches – Overcoming Adversities – IC040

[Trigger warning: this episode discusses topics related to mental health, depression, self-harm, alcohol abuse, and suicide.] Humans first, Dentists second. We will all have personal rough patches during our career - but how does this impact our work and our patients? A Protruserati shares his experiences of a toxic marriage, self harm and alcohol dependence - I am so grateful he anonymously shared his valuable insights and lessons for dentists seeking to prioritise their mental well-being. https://youtu.be/ZED_yS8v8sc Watch IC040 on Youtube Throughout the episode we touch on coping strategies, emphasising the value of exercise and physical activity for mental well-being. We also explore the guest speaker's path to recovery from alcohol abuse, including their positive experience with the Allen Carr course, which aimed to change their perception of alcohol. We delve into their experiences with counselling and highlight the importance of being in the right mindset for therapy to be effective. In addition to this we touch on the HeartMath technique, a powerful self-regulation approach that our guest found beneficial in managing emotions and achieving a sense of calm. Below you can find links to these resources, including the ConfiDental helpline - an accessible and confidential listening service designed specifically for dental professionals. Allen Carr EasyWay – www.allencarr.com/easyway-stop-drinking/HeartMath – www.heartmath.comConfiDental – 0333 987 5158 Access premium clinical videos by Jaz and gain CPD for Podcast episodes via the Protrusive.app Need to Read it? Check out the Full Episode Transcript below! Highlights of the episode:04:22 Our guest’s story12:32 HeartMath14:59 Poker face18:33 Going to work mentally unwell21:00 Leaving toxic environments27:38 Advice for those struggling31:34 Reaching out If you liked this episode, you should check out Toxic Work Cultures in Dentistry – Time for a Change? Click below for full episode transcript: Dr. Anonymous: I didn't enjoy going to work. I think, I always thought, I wasn't very well slept and I didn't have the energy and I had to put it on, and it was a lot of effort. So, yeah, I think it was, it was difficult for me. I didn't want to go to work. Jaz's Introduction:Do you remember practicing dentistry when you had a cold or you weren't feeling well? Well, you must remember how difficult that was, right? Because dentistry is such a stressful thing. We're dealing with people's emotions all day long. We're dealing with intricate procedures in small places, so when you're not feeling your best. Man, that adds even more to an already stressful profession. There are various times in our careers that we will enter a rough patch. Now, before I give you examples of this, I want to give a warning for this episode that this episode does contain a lot of triggers that might upset some listeners. We tackled some very dark themes in this podcast episode. My guest, who is a dental professional, discusses episodes of self-harm, divorce, excessive alcohol intake. And these are the kind of themes that we'll be discussing under the broader umbrella of difficult, rough patches that we may face as professionals. And the reason why you made this episode today is to help anyone who's listening who may be. Going through a rough patch and of course will. It's inevitable. We will all go through rough patches. We'll all have an argument one day. We won't be feeling our best every day. I don't feel my best every day, despite what you guys might think, right? I have bad patches. Everyone has bad patches. This is life and we need the resilience to navigate through those bad patches. A lot of talk nowadays, more and more, which is brilliant about mental health, looking after your mental health. So I'm hoping this episode will help someone, will inspire someone. If it helps just one person, it is worth it. Because of the nature of this episode,