Further Notes and Information
Q1 Do you have feelings about patients that confuse you, or that you are not sure how they have arisen?
It will help if you can identify a specific example and focus on that. Consider how you were feeling around the time that this interaction occurred. Begin to identify what the feelings were exactly, and see if you can connect them to the conversation you had with the patient. Did the patient remind you of anyone? Are there any feelings of secrecy?
It is normal to have feelings of this nature. If the feelings arise repeatedly or feel intrusive or are getting in the way then it could help a lot to discuss them with colleagues or with a counsellor. Sometimes feelings arise because we have formed an attachment to someone who reminds us of someone from another part of our life (Hughes & Kerr, 2000). For example a doctor who had been confused about feelings of sadness he had in relation to an elderly male patient came to realise that the patient reminded him of his late father, with whom he had not had a good relationship. Once he was able to distinguish this and to fully accept the experience, the space for the patient cleared again and his anxiety diminished.