Medcast news and blog

I had an interesting experience at my GP recently. I don’t go to the GP very often. Mostly I don’t get sick. Sometimes I treat my own ills or just soldier on. On the few occasions that I have been to see someone about something concerning me, my overwhelming experience has been of being judged and dismissed. I feel that they think that, as a doctor, I should have not only made the diagnosis but also treated myself. In fact, I should have been better way before I thought to come along!

I talk to a lot of health professionals and it amazes me how often people look at me blankly when I introduce the subject of self-soothing activities. As the conversation progresses I can see most of the blank looks turn to some degree of understanding as they begin to acknowledge the familiarity of the concept in their own lives, but GPs in particular are not generally familiar with the fact that teaching people about emotional management strategies is a core part of therapy, and an intervention that is entirely available to them in general practice.

I’ve been asked this question twice in the last month. Once by a 70 year old patient who has taken up smoking weed to control her neuropathic pain, let’s call her ‘Rachel’. And the other a young man aged 26 (Sean) who is smoking cannabis to help control his chronic anxiety.

The move to standardise emergency numbers within hospitals, to make them similar to the standardised emergency numbers that are utilised in the community setting, is gaining momentum.

Stan, aged 80, comes to see you with left side abdominal pain and a low-grade fever. This is a classic example of a common problem doctors face in General Practice. In our Podcast we discuss Diagnosis, Assessment, Management & Referral.

At the RACGP annual conference this year (GP19) Dr Anita Elias spoke eloquently and persuasively about the psychological impact of young people’s access to, and use of, online pornography. It is no longer just a speculative idea based on clinical anecdotes. Research evidence confirms that viewing pornography at a young age is having a significant and damaging impact on young people’s sexual attitudes and behaviours and their emotional states.

Parenting is often challenging - particularly for us as mental health-interested GPs - as we know full well how important it is to get it right with attachment. Thank goodness for Winnicott’s “good enough mother” idea to get us through those sleepless nights!

As summer approaches, drowning events across Australia will be more prevalent. Healthcare professionals can assist in the community during these stressful emergencies, and use their skills to help manage drowning events.

Like many people with ageing brains I am concerned about the things I might fail to remember. My life is full of new experiences. I like to travel and while I’m away I take photos so I will remember those experiences  better (a bit like people with early dementia learn to write themselves notes) and so that I can share the memories with others.