Veterinary Super Friends Podcast

Carrie is working on a book chapter and... well, at least the first draft is done. Katie is exploring a job she loves and trying to find a balance between doing great work - and not being able to keep work in check.

We jump into a common problem in veterinary medicine: perfectionism. Why do we all feel like we have to be instantly excellent at everything?

Reach out!

Website: https://www.veterinarysuperfriends.com/

Facebook/Instagram: @veterinarysuperfriends

Not One More Vet (NOMV)

Carrie's writing a book chapter, and Katie's working on bouncing back from surgery - but life in practice continues and it's pretty hard right now. It seemed like a good time for a chat about moral distress, which affects all of us at some point (and most of us feel it pretty often). We also talk journaling (which can look different for extroverts), gratitude, and why social media can be a pretty great place to talk about hard things with people who just get it. 

Not One More Vet: https://www.nomv.org/

BetterHelp free trial for NOMV and NOMV-SS members: https://www.betterhelp.com/nomv/

Find us at:

https://www.veterinarysuperfriends.com/

Facebook/Instagram: @veterinarysuperfriends

Carrie and Katie are alive and... well, Dealing. Like everyone. It's a catch up episode about the realities of life in a totally changed world, including hyena MRIs, loss of coping mechanisms, and and why both extroverts and introverts are struggling right now. 

Meet the newest member of the VSF crew at 11:10!

Our special guest, Glencora King, AMFT, helps us work through some anxiety fueled by social distancing, self-quarantined loved ones, and the constant influx of media coverage and new pronouncements surrounding COVID-19.

Although we all deal with a crisis in our own way, the feelings we're facing are universal. In some ways, even though we are physically far apart, as human beings we've never been closer. 

*Glencora's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GlencoraKingMFT/

*Learn to meditate - yes, even you, skeptics - with 10% Happier: https://www.tenpercent.com/

*Find a therapist to chat with online with BetterHelp's free month trial for NOMV and NOMV-SS members: https://www.betterhelp.com/nomv/

*The AVMA page for COVID-19 information: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/covid-19

One of us had a small freakout about the coronavirus outbreak and did what all good nerds do when they're freaking out: she got the facts. 

Also: do you call in sick to work? Carrie did some polling and the results... probably won't surprise anyone in vet med, but they should. 

World Health Organization (WHO) on COVID-19

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19

Let's talk all things therapy: Carrie loves her team now, while Katie's at the beginning of her journey and working on finding the right fit. Therapy is not one-size-fits-all, nor will it solve all your problems - but sometimes it's hard to move forward without some help from a trained professional. We're talking about some of the pitfalls involved in finding, paying for, and sticking with a therapist. 

Important landmarks: 

Dog snoring extra loud: 26:55

Tips on finding care: 31:00

Some helpful links:

Not One More Vet (NOMV)

Psychology Today's therapist finder

BetterHelp online counseling - get a free month as a member of NOMV or NOMV-SS

Two Chairs - where Carrie found her therapist

Veterinary Interactive Screening Program (VISP)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline

Or, reach out to us or NOMV/NOMV-SS on Facebook, Instagram or our website at www.veterinarysuperfriends.com. 

***Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide.***

It's not a skill anyone wants to need. But suddenly finding yourself in a conversation with someone who is thinking about self-harm is a very possible scenario in our profession, and you will want to hear what Carrie has to say about how to handle that conversation. 

If you're considering suicide or self-harm, please reach out.

You are not alone. 

Some helpful links:

Not One More Vet's homepage

QPR Training through the AVMA - free for members

Dr. Andy Roark's discussion about limiting means, and the 4 Eyes Save Lives movement

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 

BetterHelp.com's free 1 month trial for NOMV and NOMV-SS members

Optimism, gratitude, positive psychology - we both might have called it all a load of rose-colored horse**** if you'd asked us 10 years ago. But over time, both of us have come to realize that being grateful and optimistic doesn't have to mean ignoring our problems or being lucky enough to avoid negative experiences. Science agrees: you CAN train your brain to see the world differently, and you'll be happier and healthier for it. 

A few things we talk about :

- how veterinarians measure up to the rest of the population in terms of how we think and react

- meditation and mindfulness; check out the book 10% Happier by Dan Harris as well as the 10% Happier app on Apple and Google

- how our brains are muscles we can train and change through consistent "exercise" - here's an article from UC Berkeley on how gratitude changes your brain

The holidays can be a tough time in vet med - euthanasias are up and spirits can get down. Don't indulge the Grinch. Embrace your inner Cindy Lou Who. And THANK YOU to the superstar teams who work over the holidays!!

Carrie discovers that when it comes to vacations, bigger isn't always better. And Katie is forced to admit that going to conferences is not actually a vacation, even if it's fun. 

Shout out to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, CO, which Katie heard about on Podcast A Vet!