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This is by no means an easy topic to write a newspaper article about. In fact, I thought for many months about writing a column on this subject. It is receiving increasing media coverage, and with the request from fellow veterinarians in town, I think it is an appropriate time to address it.

It involves the veterinary professions increased risk for compassion fatigue, burnout and suicide.

A study of 10,000 veterinarians by the Centers for Disease Control in 2014 found one in six veterinarians have contemplated suicide.

In fact, veterinary professionals are four times more likely to commit suicide than the average citizen.

The veterinary profession also has the highest risk of suicide out of all of the medical professions.

This statistic is not reserved solely for general practitioners.

In the last few years the profession has lost notable behaviorists, surgeons, specialists, technicians and general practitioners to this mental illness.

What makes veterinary professionals more likely to experience compassion fatigue and then commit suicide?

The answer is complex and specific to each individual person (as is all mental illness), yet I believe there are certain key elements across the profession that make us more at risk than the general population.

The veterinary profession attracts professionals who are ambitious, driven, intelligent, compassionate, empathetic and hardworking, with an unwavering commitment to veterinary medicine.

These traits that help us become great doctors and practitioners can also be to our detriment.

It is all too common for veterinarians to take it personally if a case cannot be easily solved, a surgery does not go as planned or a patient cannot be saved.

After all, we are not used to getting Bs in school, let alone thinking we are failing a life!

It is very common to take work home, to dwell on it and retreat from loved ones who seem to not be able to relate. A vicious cycle can start when doubt, depression and isolation set in.

As well, the veterinary profession experiences more incidents of trauma than the general population, but also when compared to the other medical professions.

Our goal as a profession is to be a voice for the voiceless. However, that does not mean everything can be saved and for many of us, that is a very difficult pill to swallow.

While I personally believe euthanasia is one of the most humane acts we can perform as veterinarians, it does not mean we do not feel every time we push the syringe. It often means the exact opposite: We often feel, and perhaps too deeply.

Another form of trauma experienced by veterinary professionals that is unique to the profession is that decisions affecting diagnosis, treatment and quality of life of a patient are dependent upon an owners financial capabilities. Often compounding this trauma is an owner upset that we cannot perform services at no cost.

Using this against us is a form of emotional bullying.

If we could save everything for free we would; but if we took financial responsibility for every pet that needed it, we would burn out even faster.

We have to balance patient care for ALL patients, care for ourselves, care for our staff and care for the clinic as a business.

Our commitment to the profession also means younger professionals are incurring more debt than previous generations.

Our average starting salary is $65,000, whereas in 2016, more than 20 percent of veterinary graduates finished school with more than $200,000 in debt.

Financial advisers recommend a debt-to-income ratio of 1.5-2 to 1. Our ratio is often two to four times higher!

Imagine the deep love we must feel for our profession when we knowingly choose to devote our lives to the voiceless, despite the financial burden it puts on us.

It is then understandable the rebuff we feel when clients state we are in this for the money, or that we dont love their pet enough.

It is often this statement that furthers many veterinary professionals isolation and depression.

So how can we help this crisis? First, I strongly believe in self-care emotionally, physically and spiritually.

There should never be shame associated with seeking assistance from a professional.

Second, I think the veterinary profession and owners need to re-establish a mutual compassion for each other.

Communication from all parties should be done with grace and kindness.

It is imperative we understand we are all humans seeking to create a healthy, long-lasting relationship with our pets and the world around us.

Danielle Carey, DVM, is an associate veterinarian who practices mixed-animal veterinary medicine at the Animal Clinic of Walla Walla. Contact her at 509-525-6111.

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Veterinarians also susceptible to workplace, financial stressors - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

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