YOUNG DOCTORS ON TRAINING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND THE FUTURE SYSTEM CHANGE
“Dear passengers, the flight from Sofia for Varna is taking off in 50 minutes, please all the passengers head for exit 1.“
Desi: I do not feel like going, honestly speaking. We had the whole of Saturday and part of Sunday with these people and it seems to me we have known each other all our lives.
Momchil: I am surprised how fast I managed to get close with so many different people – in view of major and age. Each of them managed to contribute for my views in his or her own way. Did someone impress you stronger than the rest?
Desi: I keep on thinking how absurd it is with a colleague from another city and other major, to have encountered one and the same experiences in work environment. Throughout her story we could see the printout left by her professional everyday life and the tension that results from opposing colleagues. If you ever get heard and arrive to collision, because sometimes you seem not to exist. I could feel every moment from her case because I myself have suffered such behaviour and kept on thinking I am alone in these experiences, and it seems that someone somewhere fully understands you.
Momchil: Right! So far I have believed that I am one of the few with such views on the significance of mental health and I had accepted that in order to feel change, I would have to face the world all by myself and create it – a task that seemed to me insurmountable. Yet this meeting absolutely proved to me I am not alone – these two days were enough to feel surrounded by adherents; by people who believe we could feel more secure and live better.
Desi: I am happy we had with us Teodora Milotinova to guide us through these occupations between us. I have the feeling that after speaking things out and had a person who was listening and understanding me, I became lighter. We had more than a hint or two for the other and this gave us incentive and hope for the days to come. We saw there is a way we could cope even if just looking each other and talking about the problem.
Which moment left the strongest memory in you? Even though I believe it would be hard to choose, ha-ha-ha.
Momchil: initially I felt uneasy when getting in new environment with unknown people, especially when every of them is older and more experienced than me, yet meetings with Lyudmila Paneva and Mariana Petrova managed to predispose me. The game of getting to know the other showed me that this event is not just a formality but aims at gathering a group of people around similar objective – I felt like a part of something. This is the creation of community of medical specialists that would like to become part of the change. With every following issue the other participants are getting less and less stranger. Lucy was quite excited – her enthusiasm infected me.
The meeting with Mariana demonstrated us how important is the way we communicate in practice – with patients, as well as with colleagues. Yet I got the most surprised with everything when it was unveiled how issues with mental health in medical practice could refer to couple of main groups that get repeated with everyone – irrespective of our workplace or personal story: neglect, shame and toxic work environment. Then I really felt to be a part of a community.
Desi: We got close with such ease and rapidity, did you notice? And I do not think it was because of the marvellous cocktail for idea exchange. Now everytime I would be using the game for getting to know people, when I am in new environment. How simple and at the same time making you to get out of your comfort zone is to say two personal things in front of everyone without thinking too much.
One could tell how much love every participant has and the care he takes after the rest. They have turned their profession into calling and are now looking for one more way to be helpful, this way to their colleagues. I really hope that this circle of trust and mutual help would get wider and wider and we get “infected” from each other. Get a huge “epidemics” of happy colleagues at work.
Momchil: Epidemics? This is real professional deformation!
Desi: It is not by chance! Most of our life we spent in our professional environment and should take care for it to be as pleasant as possible. Do you think we could achieve this?
Momchil: Before joining the training program of “Astra Forum” Foundation, it seemed to me to be a too big and broad issue that is unbearable to one person, yet after our meeting I felt hopeful that I have adherents with whom we actively work in this direction and that there is someone to stretch my hand for, when I need it. Just like Momchil Baev told us: “One swallow does not make a summer yet soon there would be a whole flock of us”. I am thankful to Momchil and “Astra Forum” Foundation for this opportunity that set a new beginning of my pathway in medicine. I am also thankful to Nina Todorova who manage to arrange and gather all of us.
“Dear passengers. Prepare for take-off…“
* In order to lean more about tuition contents in which Momchil and Desi took part, please read this article HERE
“Astra Forum” Foundation supports the medical specialists while providing them with the opportunity to join group sessions in the city of Sofia. The group is open and could be joined by health specialists that would like to improve their skills for coping with stress at the workplace. The visits are only 2 a month, on Friday from 18:00 – 20:00 p.m. in the centre of the city of Sofia. The fee per one visit is symbolic – 20 BGN, and the other part would be borne by the Foundation. Should you need more information, you could contact us at email: support@astraforumfoundation.org
*This one and other initiatives of “Astra Forum” Foundation related to mental health and art take place thanks to individual donators, who support our work. You could also support us via pressing the button “DONATIONS” at our website.
