Uncertainty in the middle of a Pandemic

"Hope is like the sun, when its behind the clouds it's not gone, you just have to find it."

          The past few weeks have been tough for all of us.  Each day we wake up to a world that's quite different from  the one we were used to.  Covid19 changed the lives of so many people all over the world.  Social distancing.  Enhanced community quarantine. Curfews.  Stay at home.  This is something new for everyone and it's scary because there is an air of uncertainty about this change.  But somehow I would tell myself that to be able to move forward we must embrace the fear and uncertainty and strive to live each day the best way we know how for nothing in this world is permanent.

          Tell yourself not to dwell on thoughts that would lead to negative feelings and emotions.  Use this time to slow down and be grateful for the gift of life. Keep connected with family and friends while maintaining social distancing.  Show kindness whenever possible.  Have faith that this will all be over soon.

     May hope never leave you during this difficult and trying times.

     

Note to Self

Dear Self,

          You have been hurt, you have been broken... but you managed to pick up the pieces and made yourself whole again.  It was never easy, you struggled to keep yourself from drowning in sadness.  You had to force yourself to smile when all you wanted to do was cry.  The hurt you were feeling was so unbearable that at one point you just wanted the pain to go away.   

          But somehow in the middle of all the anger, the sadness, the pain and the anguish you were feeling you found the courage to face life again.  You were ready to forgive, but not to forget the lessons you learned.  You were willing to trust and love again.

     You found the courage to look pain in the eye and say, “You can hurt me, but you can never stop me from being happy again.”  

Dear Doctor...

A letter to all my previous interns who’s now halfway through their residency training and I guess to all physicians and future MD’s out there struggling to make sense of all the toxicity of their everyday life:

Dear Doctor,

There would be days when everything’s not going your way
and you’d feel like giving up, but always remember your goals and dreams
and use that to fuel yourself to move forward.

Things are tough especially when you’re in your first year of residency,
or starting out in your practice... it’s like you’re being tested to see how long you’d last. 
You will fail every so often, but learn from the lessons of every past mistakes. 
Be honest, and always do the right thing. 
Once you get through your first year, things don’t get any easier,
but then you’re much tougher and wiser so there’s nothing you couldn’t really handle. 

Life is tough. There are no shortcuts to get to where you want to be.
I just hope that in the pursuit of your dreams you don’t get lost or loose yourself in the process.
Be compassionate, be empathetic and be kind always.
Hang in there and pursue that dream with passion and determination.

You will get there when you are meant to get there and not one moment sooner.
So relax, breathe and be patient.

Love,

A psychiatrist trying to make a difference in this world, one day at a time...

The Story Behind A Smile...

Behind every smile is a story of strength...

A smile to hide the struggle and overcome the different challenges that one has to face.

When you learn to smile behind the pain, you accept that life will never be perfect,

and that once in a while you will get hurt, 

but that won't stop you from living your life to the fullest.

When you share your smile, you let people feel that no matter how hard life gets, 

they are NEVER alone.

That is why I CHOOSE to SMILE.

Because despite the hurts and disappointments that I have experienced in the past,

 life has given me more than enough reasons to smile every single day.

I smile because I am grateful.
I smile because I am at peace with myself

Psychiatric Resident Signing Off...

If I am asked to describe what it’s like to be a psychiatric resident in Sotto, I would definitely describe it as “Life Changing”...

Residency training taught me a lot of things not just in the field of psychiatry, but life in general.  It gave me the chance to help and reach out to patients with mental illness and give hope to their families. It gave me an advocacy to promote mental health and awareness.
It was during residency training that I get to meet and work with different types of people, most of whom I now consider as my friends.

What kept me going for the past four years, aside from my commitment to the training program, was because of the love and support of my family and friends. Thank you from the bottom of my heart..

Life as a psychiatric resident was like being in a roller coaster ride, it had its ups and downs... but it was definitely worth it. There was a time during my residency when I was faced with a lot of personal challenges, I remember my training officer telling me that if I would be able to overcome all the problems and difficulties I was facing at the moment, it would help me become a good psychiatrist in the future, and that is what I hope to be...

Graduating from residency is not the end, but it’s just the beginning of a whole new adventure waiting for me...

My sincere thanks to VSMMC and the Department of Psychiatry for allowing me to continue my service with the institution.  I may be signing off as a psychiatric resident, but I know that bigger and better things are yet to come...