Many roadblocks hinder the diagnosis and treatment of depression in the medically ill, one being that patients may have certain thoughts or assumptions about their depression that may cause them to minimize the symptoms or not seek treatment for them. Patients may think it’s simply normal to feel sad after developing a specific medical condition. […]

Caring too much can hurt. When caregivers focus on others without practicing self-care, destructive behaviors can surface. Apathy, isolation, bottled up emotions and substance abuse head a long list of symptoms associated with the secondary traumatic stress disorder now labeled as “compassion fatigue”. My guest is Patricia Smith, the founder of the Compassion Fatigue Awareness […]