Veterinary Wellbeing Series

When very little is certain and all you can do is contemplate worst-case scenarios, how do you prevent mental health issues from spiraling?

Though mental illness has traditionally been considered a taboo topic, the mental health—or lack thereof—of veterinary professionals has become a hot topic.

What do you get when you put empathic caregivers known to neglect their own health into a high-stress, demanding profession? The perfect storm.

Mental health problems have a way of spiraling out of control, affecting both the individual and everyone around her. How do you prevent that from happening, and what do you do if it does?

More employers are realizing that personal problems don’t necessarily stay personal—they inevitably bleed into work. That’s why employee assistance programs provide support for all aspects of life, not just the job-related parts.

In today’s demanding world, conflict abounds—among colleagues, clients, family, and even strangers. But even though you can’t avoid it, you can control how you respond to it.

Stress and conflict are inevitable, but they’re not inherently bad. Whether you flounder or flourish in the face of stress is largely up to you.