Passionate about there being 'another way'

This blog post by Dr Andrew Howe is part of the Thrive in Psychiatry campaign.

I am a consultant general adult psychiatrist for the Croydon home treatment team in South London. In my role, I am the only consultant psychiatrist for a multidisciplinary team of around 20 people.

We help people who are in crisis with a variety of difficulties, including psychosis, suicidal thoughts and intense anxiety.

However, that’s not all psychiatry is to me.

So far in my career, I have become a qualified psychodynamic psychotherapist, completed a master's degree in Jungian theory, published and run multiple projects related to depth psychology and Jungian psychology, and spent some time as an interim associate medical director.

Most recently, I set up 12 tailored job posts for junior clinical fellows and portfolio pathway doctors in my trust.

Psychiatry has already given me such a varied career that is so vital to keep me going and reduce the chance of burnout.

Using depth psychology, particularly Jungian psychology, has spread into my psychiatric work, not just in therapy.

It gives me a different way to think about people's difficulties that isn’t just medical. I am passionate about there being “another way” and this also enters my current managerial role, setting up job roles for doctors outside of the traditional training route.

The traditional way is not the only way

Our lives are so varied; we are all individuals, and I think it is short-sighted to think that the traditional way of doing things is the only way.

This attitude also feeds into the power of creativity and how this is a central part of my day-to-day.

For example, we have recently set up a crisis psychology clinic within our home treatment team, creating something where there was nothing before.

Making time to fit everything in

All this being said, it's not always easy to fit everything in.

Saying no has been one of the hardest lessons I have had to learn, and I am still learning!

Psychiatry's focus on professional development with special interest days as a SpR was undoubtedly a good start.

At times, I have had to work outside my usual working hours, but it's helped that I am passionate about subjects such as Jungian psychology, to not view it as "work" but something that stimulates my mind.

I am presently undertaking a part-time PhD in the subject, and without my interests outside of work, I don't think I would manage it.

So, there is something to be said for finding your own passion, whatever it is, and not doing work for another persons. It has led me to some interesting places! I am also (trying) to set rules about weekends being work-free zones. 

In all of this, I am grateful to my colleagues for their support and for saying “yes” instead of “no”. I have been fortunate in Croydon that our senior managers are open to new ideas and change.

This also works both ways. I endeavor to support the people I work with in achieving their goals, even if I have to do a bit of extra work to cover for them, for example.

Furthermore, I am grateful to everyone I work with for their drive and energy, even when things seem impossible. I would say that to thrive in psychiatry, these are some of the essentials: creativity, belief in difference, holistic approaches and individuality.

We would also not get anywhere without our colleagues, so I strongly believe in helping each other grow and making our work enjoyable and life-affirming. This might be as simple as having your team go for a walk at lunchtime or bringing food to meetings.

All these things matter and create an environment where we all can thrive.

Dr Andrew Howe, General Adult Consultant Psychiatrist, Croydon, South London.