Many psychiatrists refuse to treat chronically suicidal patients, not only because of the stigma that surrounds it even in their profession, but because suicide is the number-one cause of lawsuits brought against mental-health treatment providers.

This is my jaw dropping. That is awful. I am sure angry, grieving families sue because they are convinced the psychiatrist "could have done more," but we cannot create a culture where those most in need of help are turned away for fear of retribution should the shrink not be able to cure a patient.

I am sure others sue because they think the shrink made the patient worse and I have heard of such instances - true or not, frequent or not, beyond me. Talk therapy has been known to make some patients feel worse.

Sometimes I worry that my own stress/life/whatever coping mechanisms will become unhealthy and do me harm. But my option is to attempt to cope healthfully: or not attempt to cope. I must take the risk that a coping mechanism might become warped and unhealthy and trust myself to recognize that and moderate my actions in response to that.

Point? Yes, things that are supposed to and even generally do help people can and do backfire on some. But I can't reconcile with the idea that existence of such risk makes not trying a better option.

I'm not blaming doctors here, really. How many times has any one of us gently love-tapped a car and then driven away in silence and guilt, worried that an honest admission of minor collision and no visible damage could unleash a frenzy upon us, or worse, false insurance charges, a stranger's anger, blame, and even abuse? But as a driver, I never took a Hippocratic oath. I didn't learn how to drive so that I could help other people. So yeah, there are differences too, the metaphor's not perfect.

I've thought about becoming a psychiatrist, on and off, over the years. It has struck me before exactly how personal failure in such a profession would feel; how could you not feel guilty for a patient who died by his or her own hand "on your watch"?

Great, great article TNG, thanks for sharing.