I first contacted the RMBF in December 2022. Despite having trained and worked as a medical doctor, I didn’t feel deserving of help from a medical charity, considering how many years I’d taken away from practising as a result of illness. I found myself completely lost – unsure of how to return to any kind of career, following several years of mental health struggles including severe depression and psychosis.
I was responded to in such a kind and welcoming, non-judgmental way, that I started to slowly build confidence in the organisation, allowing them to help me. Since my initial contact with them, I have gone from strength to strength and cannot believe the progress I have made over the past twelve months.
Prior to accessing their help, I had no stable housing and my finances were really tight, as I was on the minimal amount from Universal Credit with no real savings to live on. Most of my savings had been spent on accessing different types of therapy and surviving the several years of unemployment I had experienced.
Thanks to their financial assistance and advice from their money expert, my finances have improved, I am accessing the correct support from the government and this has taken away some of the financial stress which had been affecting my mental health for so long.
I now have secure housing and have made a beautiful home for myself. The ability to be at home and feel safe has been hugely beneficial to my wellbeing. None of this would have been possible without the encouragement from my case worker at the RMBF.
I have had an incredible mentor who has listened to me and helped me figure out the right path for myself, in order to find a fulfilling career in which I’d also have time to look after my wellbeing. I was treated with kindness and compassion throughout, when I felt that I was stuck in a dark place, feeling lost. I have decided to pursue a career in psychotherapy and have started my studies this year.
Essentially, over the past year, I have been able to secure stable housing, find a career path which is more suited to my health needs and I’ve been able to take care of mental and physical health by participating in courses in the arts, writing and yoga – all of which have aided my recovery hugely.
Being vulnerable as a doctor isn’t something that’s widely discussed. My experiences with mental health struggles have made me a more compassionate and kind, non-judgemental individual. Should I choose to return to the medical practice one day, this will only make a more understanding and empathetic doctor.
I cannot thank the team at the RMBF enough. Their help has been life-changing for me and I wouldn’t have made this much progress without their encouragement, support and financial aid. I would highly encourage any doctors experiencing any health or financial difficulties to get in touch with the RMBF and see what help is available to them.