ID4U Episode 30 Psychology and Infectious Disease

Let's move to the next segment of our podcast, healing and hope.

We talk about management and prevention in every episode.

So what does psychological prevention or preparation look like for patients and health care workers dealing with the burden of infectious disease?

It looks like resilience and support.

Believing for the best outcomes, preparing for the best outcomes.

And this is where my positive psychology comes in.

And both treating the body with the mind and emotions.

There's no separation.

We want to treat the whole individual.

Remembering that medical education and psychoeducation go hand in hand.

Human empathy and connection is part of the healing process.

For the families and the patients, you are more than your diagnosis.

Manage your diagnosis.

Don't let it manage you.

For the providers, your well-being matters as much as your patients because healing is a collaborative process.

The patient needs you and you serve them best when you are at your best.

Oh, great quote.

You serve them best when you are at your best.

And that's a powerful shift.

So instead of just treating the pathogen, we're treating the patient.

And I also hope that our listeners will also take your advice on knowing, realizing their capacity and hopefully not feeling ashamed about the capacity.

Because like you said, some have the capacity of an ocean and some have the capacity of a kitchen sink.

And I hope we all realize where we are at within those extremes.

Let's go through some take-home points.

Infectious disease is a social, emotional, psychological, traumatic experience, not just a biological or physical one.