Home - Resources - Resources for Medical Students - Are you OK - Warning Signs & Support

Warning Signs & Support

Are you OK - Quick Links

Staying Well Warning Signs & Support Impact Of Shift Work & Fatigue Get Urgent Help! Signs You Are In Trouble! Have Your Own GP Exercise Eating Well Eating Health At Home Impact Of Shift Work & Fatigue Does Someone You Know Need Help Urgently?

Warning signs

Stress, fatigue and burnout affect everyone differently. Some common warning signs include (but are not limited to):

c
  • changes in sleep and appetite
  • feeling ‘down’ most of the time
  • loss of interest in things you normally enjoy
  • increased self-criticism and irritability
  • difficulty focusing or concentrating
  • worrying about things that would never usually worry you
  • withdrawing from friends and family
  • lowered performance at work
  • increased use of alcohol and/or drugs.

Any of the above can occur from time to time, but it’s when they happen frequently and start to negatively affect your life day-to-day that you need to think about getting some support or help.

Check out the diagram below—when you hit the orange zone…take action!

stress

 

✔ More on warning signs:

  • Signs of burnout/anxiety/depression/substance abuse

Where can I get support?

  • Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). All hospital RMOs on the DHB MECA and GP trainees on the GPEP1 MECA have access to fully funded counselling through EAP. This is a confidential service. Call 0800 327 669 or book online.
  • Medical Protection Society (MPS). All MPS members have access to fully funded confidential counselling through MPS. Call 0800 225 5677.
  • Beating the Blues. Your GP can refer you for free online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). For more information see www.beatingtheblues.co.nz
  • Talk to someone you trust. Keep in mind that you should always approach your own health professional (ie, your GP) for treatment.
  • MPS Counselling service
  • Call MPS on 0800 225 5677. Calls to this number can be made in the strictest confidence.
  • Press 1 for medicolegal adviser.
  • Your call will be answered by the duty medicolegal consultant who will ask who they are speaking to. But there’s no need to divulge the details of your situation; just that you would like to access the counselling service. Your name will not be recorded by MPS.
  • You may know of a particular psychiatrist or clinical psychologist you would like to see. If you do not have a specific person in mind, you will be provided with names of therapists in your area.
  • If you need more than four to six sessions, your therapist will be asked to contact MPS to arrange for more sessions.
  • The counselling service is free of charge.