Medcast news and blog

Once upon a time I would have baulked at any conversation about retirement. Even a chat about superannuation would have given me a vague feeling of nausea. For me, both subjects carried with them very unpleasant notions – old age, senescence, incapacity and burdensomeness.

A taxi driver asked me recently if I was still working. I hurriedly assured him that I was indeed “still working” as I was not yet old enough to retire – that, I’m afraid, was a lie!. What surprised me was the rush of emotion the question provoked and the amazing need to tell that lie. What is the matter with me?

So much has been written about fear, anxiety and stress in the COVID era. And I certainly can identify with much of it. For me, however, it’s a lot more complex than just these emotions. I find I don’t recognise the world today. Looking around, on the surface, it seems that not much has changed.

The complexity of the intersection between mental health, trauma and domestic violence poses significant challenges for health professionals. Increasing recognition of the limitations of mainstream healthcare systems’ response to domestic violence victims underlies the growing demand for trauma and violence-informed care.

Because COVID is not over yet it’s probably worth our thinking again about how we can optimise the benefits of our downtime, as well as manage the stressors at work.

We've asked some Community of Practice members to tell us about what 2020 has meant to them. Some things may surprise you...

Back at the beginning of 2020 we asked people we know to tell us how they were coping with the pandemic. We asked them 3 questions. Here’s how one Australian GP with far-flung connections is answering these questions now:

We've asked some Community of Practice members to tell us about what 2020 has meant to them. Some things may surprise you...

We've asked some Community of Practice members to tell us about what 2020 has meant to them. Some things may surprise you...