layout: true background-image: url(../../images/slide_background.jpg) background-size: cover class: middle --- # Speak to Somebody ### Long Quotes --- ### Quote 1 --- ### “… if we’ve got a problem, and you ring up the VDS, and OK you only ring them up between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm, those boys at the other end of the phone are awesome! It doesn’t matter what the situation is, somehow, I mean you dread finding yourself in that position, but you just ring them up and you feel so much better for it. You know you’re with someone you can trust, someone who’s gone, “you know what, it’s not the worst thing in the world”. *(cont. ...)* --- ### And they’ve taken them with you on that journey and you believe, in that moment, that it’s not the worst thing in the world, not the worst thing that anyone has ever done. But until you’ve picked up the phone you don’t know that. You think it’s the worst thing in the world and nobody will ever speak to you again, you’ll lose your RCVS. *(cont. ...)* --- ### But they’re so reassuring and so calm and have got your back. But that’s the VDS and I’d ring them over anything… I do think those kind of people, that bring a little bit of experience to it and go, “you know what, this really isn’t the end of the world” but take you with them do more for people’s well-being than anything else.” --- ### Quote 2 --- ### “… because in a crisis, you think, we’re vets, we’re trained to deal with a crisis all the time, got to make on-the-spot decisions – you train yourself to think that you’re resilient and can cope with it all but you do need an outlet – the Samaritans for example have a really good set-up. But I wouldn’t have thought I needed the Samaritans but perhaps we do more and more. *(cont. ...)* --- ### Or the VetLife helpline – which is actually, actively being promoted now. Talk to someone if you need to not just because you feel you’re going to reach for the drug cupboard. Preventative – definitely. Realising that you have a stress threshold and once you’ve gone over that – could be any reason(s) – that that will cup will overflow if you let it, unless you have some release mechanisms so make sure your work/life balance is good. *(cont. ...)* --- ### And if it’s not, then perhaps move on or talk the practice – “I’m not managing to switch off when I leave the office so I need to lower my work load” or whatever and encourage people to do that because we all think we’re indestructible and can cope with everything but no-one can.” --- ### Quote 3 --- ### “it would be a case of speaking with someone with more experience in the practice, talking about what I’d done and if they’d do the same or something better. And then seeing if there was something I could have done to address it - actually, I should have given this cow and injection of X. Then phoning the farmer back up and asking how the cow is. And offering to go back to the farm and do it – acknowledging that I could go back and do something more. *(cont. ...)* --- ### And if there was something that I’d felt was the best at the time but realised later I had made a mistake, it would then be a case of getting back on the farm fairly quickly. Not being scared to go back, and not leave it hanging over me as a “farm I couldn’t go back to because I had an issue”. --- ### Quote 4 --- ### “I definitely think having senior partners are very important and I think sometimes have …. some of the new graduates expect support in terms of having people, having senior vets or all the vets going round with them but they need to understand that that’s not very practical - so they need to understand that the support will be about debriefing their days or at least their week, I think that’s what they need. *(cont. ...)* --- ### For the 7 years I was in _______ we probably had a handful or half a dozen new graduates starting – some of them left, some of them are still there. A couple of them complained that they didn’t have enough support. I think they did. Perhaps they didn’t ask enough – people need to ask as well. *(cont. ...)* --- ### Communication is a two way thing, you need to communicate when you’re in trouble and need help. It’s easier said than done, I know. People with mental health issues they tend to keep it to themselves but before they get there, ideally they should be talking.”