The danger is o'er, both alike requited, God is forgotten, and the doctor slighted. Our patients expect us to be available whenever they need us, to have time to listen to their concerns and to be in a good mood, no matter how exhausted we may be. We're supposed to be infallible in diagnosis and treatment and to be paragons of virtuous behavior in our communities. We may realize these expectations are unrealistic, but they cause considerable stress nonetheless. In addition to the pressure from society and patients, much of a family physician's stress is self-induced because of the very qualities that make him or her good at the job.
Family physicians are empathic, and empathy can lead to overinvolvement.
Most physicians are conflicted about the issues of dependence, as is best seen in how we make poor patients when we're sick ourselves. The need to be cared for is converted into caring for others. Signs and symptoms Evidence of stress is generally more obvious to others than to the individual. The evidence often reveals itself in the doctor's family, which becomes the repository of his or her signs of stress. Frequently, we ignore our families' emotional needs and seem to have no clear idea of what a mature relationship is all about.