"I Am Not A Robot"

I have been a high-functioning anxiety sufferer for years.

Monday morning, I submitted a request for a sick note extension as I have been experiencing severe anxiety symptoms (severe sleep deprivation being the straw that broke the camel's back) due to multiple stressful circumstances. I specified that the only time slot I was not available for contact was Tuesday between 10 and 12 (I had a counselling session). When my session finished, I was shocked to see that I had been called twice from a withheld number, at 11:29 and 11:34. Needless to say, my stress increased further. All the more so as the Doctor I had spoken with before sounded irritated and seemed to be questioning my credibility, although he knew nothing about my circumstances.

I am a teacher and I know from experience that assessing people based on dry online forms and a few (sometimes fragmented) sentences on the phone can be frustrating and makes the whole process rather impersonal and automatic. It takes the 'human factor' out of the situation. However, we have all lived in a world roughly characterised by horrible death threats, massive instability, isolation and distancing, rigid procedures and social paralysis for over a year now. Mental health issues are on the rise, and this is not the last of it.

Compassion and filling in the (patient) blanks should therefore be paramount at this time.

If it is not so, we have failed the covid-19 test as a race.

We are not robots. The physician-patient relationship cannot be impersonal. Especially (but not only) when it comes to mental health.

Thank you for your support and understanding. Thank you for choosing not to suppress the human factor.