03/07/2021
Please take a quick moment out of your day to read a startling fact below about the veterinary profession. Kindness changes lives. 💛
“Dear Friends:
If you are linked to a person on social media who works in veterinary medicine, you may have noticed them changing their profile picture to include "NOMV" with the Rod of Asclepius.
If you don't know, NOMV stands for Not One More Vet, because veterinarians have one of the highest su***de rates of any profession. When I mention this to non-veterinary professionals, most tell me they had no idea. So, here I am telling you. Veterinarians are up to 3.5 times more likely to end their lives than the general population. The issues are complicated. Do a Google search and you’ll find some pretty good explanations.
When you see your friend or social media acquaintance change their profile, it's usually because they have learned of another colleague that succumbed to su***de. This week it was two.
Be kind to your veterinary staff-that includes everyone from the front desk to the doctor. These past months during the pandemic have been especially challenging and exhausting. We push on because we genuinely care for our patients and our clients, but damn it’s hard to be yelled at, cursed at, threatened, or belittled after being pushed to your physical and emotional boundaries day after day.
And for anyone in that dark place, please don’t be afraid to reach out. We’re all in this together.” ❤️❤️❤️
