THE MEDICAL ANGUISH: REFLECTIONS ABOUT THE SUFFERING FACED BY WHO HEAL

Abstract

This article intends to show how the social status reached by medicine ends up becoming the factor that makes that the general medical class suffers from anguish and sickness. During the day-to-day of the Health institutions, it’s possible to observe how the medicine professionals are covered by a social power that brings them a great social prestige at the same time that imposes extreme responsibility. The society demands more and more that the doctor be able to solve their problems in a quick, effective and accurate way; disregardering the human limitation of this profession. Strangely, this way of thinking and acting is stimulated by their own academic formation which makes the medical student – future doctor – really believes in his/her almost superhuman skills. However, when he/she faces the limitations of the daily reality the already graduated doctor becomes frustrated when s/he perceives the impossibility of attending all the healing demands s/he is requested for. Therefore, s/he ends up developing deep anguish feelings, as a result of that frustration. So on his/her social status disapproves the demonstration of having trouble and insecurity, the doctor prohibits himself/herself of showing the anguish felt, endings up suffering in silence and lonely, building his/her own prision, becoming a human being that suffers without showing suffering. As a result, this article aims to be a warning, not only for the medical class, but also for all those who work at the medical area, in the meaning that we should rethink of our attending as professionals.