Have you ever seen yourself in a patient?

[LucidResq]

Ever been struck by a patients similarity to yourself?

What kind of feelings did it bring up? What kind of patient were they? What elements of yourself did you see in them?

On a clinical in the ER we had an attempted suicide... I think she was 20. I talked with her for a while and it really freaked me out because she looked like me and was basically living the life I would probably be leading now if I didn't pull myself out of depression several years ago.

I've also been struck by patients that closely resembled family and close friends.

 

[Sasha]

I have never seen myself in a patient but I have seen various factors of my family in my patients. My first code looked like my mother. Losing her shook me so bad I was unsure of wether I could continue to deal with death and dying, but I decided to stick it out for a little longer, and my next loss was easier and didnt resemble family, so Ive stuck with it since.

It really sucks to see someone you know in your patient because it makes them that much harder if things go wrong.

 

[stephenrb81]

I saw my daughter in a baby code I rolled on years ago. She was about the same age as the infant and I swore I was staring at the face of my daughter. After the doctor called TOD, I stepped outside for a break, when I went back into the ER I realized the baby looked nothing like my daughter.

 

[BossyCow]

I'd say that 90% of the pts I see are people I know well. I know their kids, their siblings, their parents. The exception is the pt with whom I have no connection.

 

[ErinCooley]

Not the patient so much as the patients families.

Our 3 year old daughter was run over by my husband driving his bulldozer just before finals, my first quarter of EMT school. (just a refresher so what I'm about to say makes sense to anyone who doesnt know) I did CPR on her, she took her last breath on my front porch before EMS arrived.

Anyway, I KNOW what its like to be standing there, scared and helpless, your loved one bleeding while CPR is being performed... KWIM? Seeing the fear and terror in families eyes tear me up way more than seeing the injured child because in my eyes, that child who is bleeding is just my job, I dont think I really develop an emotional attatchment. I'm sure its a wall I've built to help me deal w/ kids. Did I make any sense?

 

[mycrofft]

No.

A few times it seemed that way, but every time the pt was a manic or schiz who was good at "reading"people and charming them.
Hey, what does that say about ME? :blush:?

 

[knxemt1983]

Ever been struck by a patients similarity to yourself?

What kind of feelings did it bring up? What kind of patient were they? What elements of yourself did you see in them?

On a clinical in the ER we had an attempted suicide... I think she was 20. I talked with her for a while and it really freaked me out because she looked like me and was basically living the life I would probably be leading now if I didn't pull myself out of depression several years ago.

I've also been struck by patients that closely resembled family and close friends.

I see qualities of myself in alot of my patients. I was diagnosed with depression a GAD a couple years ago, and got treatment. both my parents take meds for depression, and I have been able to control mine with TIME OFF FROM WORK, change in lifestyle I started working out, and learning when to back away from things that bring me down.
It really can hit home with me sometimes, when I see someone near my age, living on the street and wanting to kill themselves etc. I always sit there and think "I am glad I had the ability to seek help, and the will to continue doing the things that control it"
Sometimes I'll tell them some of my story, and it'll often settle them down and create that connection between you and the patient, but I'm careful which ones I reveal things to.