The YODPOD

In this episode, Team YOD were privileged to speak to one of the leading voices in mental health today - the CEO of the Mind charity, Paul Farmer. 

We explore: 

• Where society's mental health is today, drawn from Mind & YOD's experiences - & who the  vulnerable sections of society are
• The huge increased demand for NHS mental health services resulting in a waiting list of 1.6m+ people 
• The impact of this on GP demand & workloads - and how they can most effectively address this both in virtual & face-to-face consultations 
• Why doctors still struggle to seek their own mental health support - incl. stigma, the archaic hierarchy, medical school training habits & the aura around doctors preventing them from being their true selves
• The pivotal role of organisations via leadership, visibility of mental health champions & tailored support - & the challenges for a vast & fragmented organisation like the NHS
• Post pandemic positives incl. greater curiosity & awareness of own mental health, reduced stigma & heightened sensitivity in looking out for others 
• The need for innovation incl. the need to put prevention as a priorit
• The current & future role of policy and government support in creating systematic change
• A reflection on what is to come: the challenges of the huge fallout from the pandemic - alongside the opportunity to reshape our personal & organisational agendas to place mental health & wellbeing at the forefront, for which YOD is proud to drive forwards for doctors

This episode is:

Hosted by Dr Mark Seaman 👨‍⚕️, GP Trainee & YOD Trustee - & Chris Cherry 🍒, our resident psychotherapist

Sponsored by #FirstRespondersFirst - who we are privileged to partner with to support doctors' mental health globally.

Please do give us a rating if you like what you hear to help us reach as many medics as possible.

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It is worth noting that this is a conversational piece and the opinions and views are of those in this discussion in its own context at that time of the recording. You Okay, Doc? is a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of doctors.  Throughout our podcasts, we discuss issues affecting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing that at times some may find upsetting, if you find yourself affected by these please seek professional help.

As a charity, we need your help to keep going and develop to support and raise awareness of mental health for Doctors.  Please check out our website https://youokaydoc.org.uk/ and our Instagram page to find out more and stay up to date with us.  If you would like, you can also text donate to support the You Okay, Doc? charity by texting.  To donate £3 text 'DOCTOR' to 70331,  or to donate £5 text 'DOCTOR' to 70970.  Thank you for listening and we look forward to creating more content.   See you on the next YOD pod.

In this episode YOD resident psychotherapist and founder Dr Dan Gearon are honoured to joined by Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) associate Professor of Psychiatry, Elyse Parks to discuss her expertise on resiliency and the effects of low level stress on the mind and physical health.


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If you like what you hear, please do give us a rating to help us reach as many people as possible.

It is worth noting that this is a conversational piece and the opinions and views are of those in this discussion in its own context at that time of the recording. You Okay, Doc? is a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of doctors.  Throughout our podcasts, we discuss issues affecting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing that at times some may find upsetting, if you find yourself affected by these please seek professional help.

As a charity, we need your help to keep going and develop to support and raise awareness of mental health for Doctors.  Please check out our website https://youokaydoc.org.uk/ and our Instagram page to find out more and stay up to date with us.  If you would like, you can also text donate to support the You Okay, Doc? charity by texting.  To donate £3 text 'DOCTOR' to 70331,  or to donate £5 text 'DOCTOR' to 70970.  Thank you for listening and we look forward to creating more content.   See you on the next YOD pod.

Following the hugely exciting launch of You Okay, Nurse? , we were proud to come together with two truly inspirational change-makers for nurses in this honest insight into the mental health of Critical Care Nurses and how YON will help. 

We discuss: 

• The need to swap the 'angel' persona with the reality of  who ICU nurses are; degree entry, highly specialised professionals 
• The deeply saddening results of the BACCN research into ICU nurses' mental health during the pandemic exposing just how widespread and shocking it is
• Exploring why Covid had such an impact on critical care nurses - including the inability to provide high patient care, depersonalisation due to PPE and ever changing teams, impossible demands and its all consuming nature  
• The current nurse staffing crisis and how to improve retention 
• The reality of inconsistent support for nurses across NHS trusts vs the universal demand 
• The positive changes we think need to happen to have real results for nurses' mental health
• The direct impact on improving patient care by improving nurses' wellbeing 
• The future of YON & the role it will play to provide every nurse with:

- One constant, caring & supportive community
- Access to bespoke psychological support
- Mental & emotional health tools & skills to face the unique challenges of our profession
- A platform for nurses' voices
- Empowerment to seek help when needed 

..& much more :)

Our guests

This episode's guests represent Draeger and the British Association of Critical Care Nursing who have been pivotal supporters and partners in the creation of You Okay, Nurse?

Lesley Youren is Leader of the Hospital Marketing Team & Respiratory Care Manager at Draeger - the international leader in the field of medical & safety technology. Being a former critical care nurse herself, Lesley is driven to create positive change for nurses and someone who has personally inspired YON and YOD from the outset. 

Nicki Credland is Chair of the British Association of Critical Care Nursing (BACCN) - one of the leading organisations in critical care nursing, sits on the UK Critical Care Leadership Forum and UK Critical Care Nursing Alliance amongst other influential positions - & has a huge passion for empowering nurses' voices.

This episode is hosted by Dr Dan Gearon, founder of You Okay, Nurse? & You Okay, Doc? - and Chris Cherry, our resident psychotherapist.  

You Okay, Nurse? is proud & privileged to join forces with Draeger and the BACCN for this YON Podcast series and to create positive change for nurses' mental health & wellbeing together.

Join our virtual weekly peer-support for nurses

You Okay, Nurse?, supported by Draeger and the BACCN, is hosting 'The Huddle' for nurses every Thursday at 8pm from 13 January - 8 March. The Huddle is a free, confidential and safe virtual space for nurses to come together & share experiences, facilitated by a psychotherapist. To register and find out more, please visit:

www.youokaynurse.org.uk

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If you like what you hear, please do give us a rating to help us reach as many people as possible.

It is worth noting that this is a conversational piece and the opinions and views are of those in this discussion in its own context at that time of the recording. 

You Okay, Nurse? is an initiative of You Okay, Doc? (www.youokaydoc.org.uk) - a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of doctors.  Throughout our podcasts, we discuss issues affecting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing that at times some may find upsetting, if you find yourself affected by these please seek professional help.

Team YOD were privileged to come together with the brilliant Dame Clare Gerada -  who shares so many of YOD's values and aims. 

• Dame Gerada is a GP, President of the Royal College of Practitioners, Founder & Medical Director of NHS Practitioner Health, Chair of Doctors In Distress, author of 'Beneath The White Coat' & a life-long advocate for supporting doctors' mental health.
• NHS Practitioner Health & Doctors In Distress sadly share the same catalyst for creation as YOD - being tragedy as a result of doctors' mental health 💔 - but also a deep passion for making a meaningful difference for doctors lives. 
• Together, we identify common mental health struggles amongst doctors, often kept hidden  - including a deep anxiety, lack of belonging, self blame & training that teaches you to hide emotions.
• We discuss the need to develop a sense of belonging between doctors - often lost through rotations and team changes.
• Dame Clare shares her views on which global healthcare system does best for doctors' emotional and mental health - and why. 
• She tells us what changes need to happen to improve the institutional NHS problems she sees as responsible for causing doctors' mental health problems. 
• And, despite the tough times, she speaks passionately about her joy from being a doctor and the commonality amongst doctors with this.
  
  "We love caring for patients and we love bringing about change" 

This podcast episode is sponsored by #FirstRespondersFirst in the 🇺🇸. We are privileged & proud to partner with them to support doctors' mental health globally. Find our more about the brilliant work they do here:

https://thriveglobal.com/categories/first-responders-first/

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If you like what you hear, please do give us a rating to help us reach as many people as possible.

It is worth noting that this is a conversational piece and the opinions and views are of those in this discussion in its own context at that time of the recording. You Okay, Doc? is a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of doctors.  Throughout our podcasts, we discuss issues affecting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing that at times some may find upsetting, if you find yourself affected by these please seek professional help.

As a charity, we need your help to keep going and develop to support and raise awareness of mental health for Doctors.  Please check out our website https://youokaydoc.org.uk/ and our Instagram page to find out more and stay up to date with us.  If you would like, you can also text donate to support the You Okay, Doc? charity by texting.  To donate £3 text 'DOCTOR' to 70331,  or to donate £5 text 'DOCTOR' to 70970.  Thank you for listening and we look forward to creating more content.   See you on the next YOD pod.

Suicide in Doctors  - A deeply moving and powerful YODPod episode. That is all we can say. 

Dr Elizabeth Sizer tragically died by suicide in 2016. She was a loving cousin to Dr Dan Gearon, our YOD CEO & Founder - and devoted sister to Kate, our inspirational podcast guest.

You Okay, Doc? was created in loving memory of Dr Liz Sizer.

Heartbreakingly, it is reported that a doctor takes their own life every 3 weeks in the UK - and that was before the pandemic. Our charity exists to try to ensure no doctor ever needs to feel like that again. 

• Kate speaks so powerfully in this episode about her sister's mental health, the impact she feels that being a doctor had on that and what more could have been done. Reasons such as an inability to speak out, all-encompassing burnout  & learning to keep your emotions inside as 'part of the job' until it's too late - are uncomfortably familiar to us all.
• Hosted by our brilliant Founding Ambassador Dr Katrina - who too speaks so honestly about her she overcame her own struggles - in a way that you can't help but be inspired to feel empowered to do the same. 
• The power of community for doctors is spoken about often in this episode - endorsing Prof. Greenberg's statement that resilience is built between individuals not within. You Okay, Doc? is so proud of the community it's creating where every doctor can always feel safe, supported and valued. 
• Amongst the words of intense pain in this episode there is also hope - & a belief that we all have the power to make a change and be there for each other. 
• YODPod Psychotherapist, Chris Cherry, expertly draws insights and conclusions from this conversation that we hope will help all that listen help themselves and those around.

Thank you to all that took part in this deeply powerful and moving conversation.

This podcast is sponsored by #FirstRespondersFirst. We are privileged and proud to partner with them to support doctors' mental health across the globe. 

....................................

If you like what you hear, please do give us a rating to help us reach as many people as possible.

It is worth noting that this is a conversational piece and the opinions and views are of those in this discussion in its own context at that time of the recording. You Okay, Doc? is a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of doctors.  Throughout our podcasts, we discuss issues affecting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing that at times some may find upsetting, if you find yourself affected by these please seek professional help.

As a charity, we need your help to keep going and develop to support and raise awareness of mental health for Doctors.  Please check out our website https://youokaydoc.org.uk/ and our Instagram page to find out more and stay up to date with us.  If you would like, you can also text donate to support the You Okay, Doc? charity by texting.  To donate £3 text 'DOCTOR' to 70331,  or to donate £5 text 'DOCTOR' to 70970.  Thank you for listening and we look forward to creating more content.   See you on the next YOD pod.

Welcome to the first episode of our new YODPod Series!

We start the series with two INCREDIBLE guests discussing 'The GP Life and Wellbeing Tips'...

👨‍⚕️ Dr Mike Banna: GP & Director of British Society of Lifestyle Medicine
👩‍⚕️ Dr Punam Krishan: GP, Senior Clinical Lecturer at Glasgow University & Media Doctor

Hosted by YOD co-founders - Psychotherapist Chris Cherry 🍒 & Dr Dan - together with our brilliant YOD Founding Ambassador & GP, Dr Tesh.

We delve deep into the realities of being a GP in current times, both professionally and personally, including:

🌈 Why these each chose the GP life

🌈 How their role has changed since the pandemic - and how that has impacted them mentally

🌈 The GP highs of relationship building, human connections and being part of people's stories.

🌈 How they each have internally dealt with the media backlash against GPs and negative public opinion - and the downside of the 'hero' persona

🌈 Their personal practical strategies for keeping wellbeing high as a GP, amongst the 'ebbs and flows'

🌈 The power of therapy

Each speaks so honestly and powerfully about their own story -  allowing us to genuinely appreciate and learn from their personal experiences and recommendations to improve our own wellbeing during the inevitable highs and lows of doctor life.

We hope you like listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

If you like what you hear, please do give us a rating to help us reach as many people as possible.
....................................

It is worth noting that this is a conversational piece and the opinions and views are of those in this discussion in its own context at that time of the recording. You Okay, Doc? is a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of doctors.  Throughout our podcasts, we discuss issues affecting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing that at times some may find upsetting, if you find yourself affected by these please seek professional help.

As a charity, we need your help to keep going and develop to support and raise awareness of mental health for Doctors.  Please check out our website https://youokaydoc.org.uk/ and our Instagram page to find out more and stay up to date with us.  If you would like, you can also text donate to support the You Okay, Doc? charity by texting.  To donate £3 text 'DOCTOR' to 70331,  or to donate £5 text 'DOCTOR' to 70970.  Thank you for listening and we look forward to creating more content.   See you on the next YOD pod.

Welcome to this week's YODPOD with our very own YOD ambassador, Dr Tesh Amarasinghe!

We are excited for you to listen to the brilliant and honest insights of Dr Tesh in conversation with YODPOD hosts Dr Dan Gearon, Dr Mark Seaman & YOD Psychotherapist, Chris Cherry.  Dr Tesh is a GP in Chelsea with a strong passion for improving doctors' life and a proud & valued ambassador for YOD.

Together, we explore a whole host of issues relevant to our medic lives, including:

• The historic need for doctors to normalise talking about mental health - and how YOD's weekly Huddles (which Dr Tesh is a regular at and advocate for) is achieving that
• Why doctors are so bad at looking after themselves, whilst being experts at looking after everyone else - and how that compares to other high pressure industries such as sport
• Dr Tesh's advice for keeping mental health & wellbeing simple, the power of small steps, her favourite Buddhist teacher & how she prefers mindfulness done in a playful way! 
• An honest discussion about the sexualisation of women in the medical profession - and how being part of YOD has opened eyes to how common it sadly is 
• The need for more doctors to be better people managers - to help build a more supportive, mentally fit profession of the future 
• ....and much more!

We hope you like listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

If you like what you hear, please do give us a rating to help us reach as many people as possible.
....................................

It is worth noting that this is a conversational piece and the opinions and views are of those in this discussion in its own context at that time of the recording. You Okay, Doc? is a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of doctors.  Throughout our podcasts, we discuss issues affecting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing that at times some may find upsetting, if you find yourself affected by these please seek professional help.

As a charity, we need your help to keep going and develop to support and raise awareness of mental health for Doctors.  Please check out our website https://youokaydoc.org.uk/ and our Instagram page to find out more and stay up to date with us.  If you would like, you can also text donate to support the You Okay, Doc? charity by texting.  To donate £3 text 'DOCTOR' to 70331,  or to donate £5 text 'DOCTOR' to 70970.  Thank you for listening and we look forward to creating more content.   See you on the next YOD pod.

Hello and welcome to this week's YOD Pod. 

We are very excited to bring you one of our inspirational Trustees, Dr Meenal Galal, as this episode's guest.  Dr Galal is an Emergency Medicine Consultant at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, with a past career in corporate investment banking as well as holding an MBA.  She is a huge advocate of mental health support for doctors as well as optimising performance through wellbeing. 

Here she joins our host and psychotherapist Chris Cherry and CEO & Founder, Dr Daniel Gearon, in exploring the mental health challenges we face as doctors, the emotional experience of navigating the enormous change put on us as doctors, the power of building community to support us through that change - as well as the huge joys of the job and the benefits YOD brings!

The webinars of the brilliant psychotherapist, Julia Samuel, and military veteran, Brandon Young, were referenced in this episode and can be found on our YouTube channel and on our website.

It is worth noting that this is a conversational piece and the opinions and views are of those in this discussion in its own context at that time of the recording. You Okay, Doc? is a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of doctors.  Throughout our podcasts, we discuss issues affecting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing that at times some may find upsetting, if you find yourself affected by these please seek professional help.

As a charity, we need your help to keep going and develop to support and raise awareness of mental health for Doctors.  Please check out our website https://youokaydoc.org.uk/ and our Instagram page to find out more and stay up to date with us.  If you would like, you can also text donate to support the You Okay, Doc? charity by texting.  To donate £3 text 'DOCTOR' to 70331,  or to donate £5 text 'DOCTOR' to 70970.  Thank you for listening and we look forward to creating more content.   See you on the next YOD pod.

Welcome to this week's YOD pod.  We are very excited to bring you a discussion with the inspirational Sophie Grace Holmes who discusses her cystic fibrosis journey and her drive to reach some of the amazing challenges she has achieved so far. We discuss fitness, goal setting and mindset.  Hosting we have Chris Cherry our psychotherapist and co-founder at You okay, Doc? and joining him we have co-founder and surgical trainee Dr Daniel Gearon and Ambassador and GP trainee Mark Seaman.  We hope you enjoy it!

It is worth noting that this is a conversational piece and the opinions and views are of those in this discussion in its own context at that time of the recording. You Okay, Doc? is a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of doctors.  Throughout our podcasts, we discuss issues affecting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing that at times some may find upsetting, if you find yourself affected by these please seek professional help.

As a charity, we need your help to keep going and develop to support and raise awareness of mental health for Doctors.  Please check out our website https://youokaydoc.org.uk/ and our Instagram page to find out more and stay up to date with us.  If you would like, you can also text donate to support the You Okay, Doc? charity by texting.  To donate £3 text 'DOCTOR' to 70331,  or to donate £5 text 'DOCTOR' to 70970.  Thank you for listening and we look forward to creating more content.   See you on the next YOD pod.

Hello and welcome to this week's YOD pod! 

We are so pleased to host two of our new YOD ambassadors in this week's episode; Dr Ally Jaffee who will be starting as an FY1 in August and Dr Charlie Carey, who is just about to finish his first year as an academic doctor. Hosted by our brilliant YOD Psychotherapist & Co-Founder, Chris Cherry.

In this inspirational episode, we explore: 

• What they wished they learned at Medical School about looking after their mental health & wellbeing in the medical profession 
• Why doctors' mental health suffers 
• The importance of talking about and sharing experiences amongst doctors 
• Their vision for future generations of Medical Students - and how YOD is driving that forwards 
• The need to turn moments, like the NHS clapping, into purposeful movements 
• Why they chose to be YOD Ambassadors & how YOD is helping improve doctors' lives

A huge thank you to Dr Ally and Dr Charlie for such an honest and insightful talk which we are sure will help all those listening know that it's okay not to be okay and Team YOD are here to support every medic every step of the way. We are very proud to call you our Ambassadors.

If you like this episode, please do give us a rating to help us reach as many people as possible!

 It is worth noting that this is a conversational piece and the opinions and views are of those in this discussion in its own context at that time of the recording. You Okay, Doc? is a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of doctors.  As a charity, we need your help to keep going and develop to support and raise awareness of mental health for Doctors.  Please check out our website https://youokaydoc.org.uk/ and our Instagram page to find out more and stay up to date with us.  If you would like, you can also text donate to support the You Okay, Doc? charity by texting.  To donate £3 text 'DOCTOR' to 70331,  or to donate £5 text 'DOCTOR' to 70970.  Thank you for listening and we look forward to creating more content.   See you on the next YOD pod!