Dr Amit Sharma joins to discuss the effects of taking on too many of other people’s burdens and how you can prevent them from weighing you down.
Episode Highlights
[05:28] What Is A Naughty Monkey?
- Naughty monkeys are burdens that clients carry.
- These burdens sometimes stay and weigh down on professionals like doctors and lawyers.
[08:58] What Happens If You Don’t Give The Naughty Monkeys Back?
- We become drained and burdened.
- We end up developing a cycle wherein patients unburden their issues, and they weigh us down.
[10:59] What Really Burdens Us
- We are burdened by ownership and responsibilities.
- Our client’s naughty monkeys are not for us to own or take away.
- Stay professional and set a boundary.
[18:16] What Do We Do When We Fear Complaints?
- Complaints may lead to us overly taking responsibility because we want to please and be liked.
[22:23] How to Take Off the Role of the Rescuer
- If we can’t give the victim a solution for their problem, we are put into the persecutor role and receive complaints.
- Understanding the consultation and dynamics at play help us unpack and change the way we consult.
[24:36] How to Spot If You Are in a Rescuer Role
- Signs of being a rescuer include struggling with managing your workload and personal dissatisfaction with work.
[29:59] The Cost of Saying Yes to Everything
- Patients are not empowered to manage their health.
- It can cost you your colleagues, other clinicians and your patients.
[34:16] The Superhero Complex
- The hero complex is using prescriptions to solve people’s problems.
- Medication creates dependency.
[40:59] How To Hand Back Naughty Monkeys
- Understand the actual issues during the consultation.
- Make it clear that you and the patient are in a partnership.
- Seek the perspective of someone outside work or with a different personality.
- Seek other avenues of support
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