Blindsided By Burnout: Doctor's Call For Help

Despite Being In Healthcare,Frances Neglected Her Own Wellbeing.

- Ciara Pratt

For more than three decades, Dr Frances Pitsilis has been at the forefront of general medicine, delivering babies, working in emergency medicine and even administering cosmetic procedures.

She’s shared her knowledge on breakfast television and her former show, Is Modern Medicine Killing You?, and makes it her mission to improve the lives of those suffering from chronic illnesses.

But while Frances (60) has spent her career devoted to the health of others, she wasn’t aware when she was hurtling towards two major burnouts.

“I was chairperson of the After Hours service and I was doing obstetrics – which is a 24-hour job. My worst ever thing is that I wouldn’t get sleep for five days. I’d work in the day and deliver babies in the night,” she recalls of her first burnout back in 1997. “And then the power on the fridge went off and the freezers had a meltdown at home, so then I had a little meltdown for a whole weekend!

“I didn’t know that’s what it was and that’s what happens to people when they don’t know they’re burning out. One minute they’re at work and the next minute they’re on stress leave,” she says.