THE juxtaposition of the pandemic, the lockdown and VE Day have set me thinking about courage.
My father, aged 22 in 1942, was the only medical officer on board HMS Batory, caring for 1,800 soldiers as they headed for the invasion of Algeria. My brother and son are anaesthetists working 12-hour shifts in a 40-bed intensive care unit in London.
In his book, The Anatomy Of Courage, Lord Moran, Winston Churchill’s doctor, describes his experiences as a medical officer in the trenches during the First World War. He sees courage as being like a bank account: we all start with capital, which we then spend. Some of us start with more than others, some spend theirs faster than others but, for all of us, if and when it runs out there is no overdraft: the consequence is psychological breakdown.
Lord Moran uses the term ‘shellshock’ to describe this – what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder, which causes depression, anxiety, delusions and cognitive impairment.
Right now we are all having to dig into our reserves of a special kind of courage. For some, the capital is going to be running out. Those of us in healthcare must be ready and looking for this in our patients.
Psychological care is no less important nor less valid than cancer care and, some might argue, more difficult to treat: but treat it we must.
© Solo dmg media
