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Honoring those we lost to suicide amid COVID-19 →

Join us here on Sunday, May 17 to honor them & view award-winning documentary.

Dr. Lorna Breen recovered from COVID-19, yet was traumatized from witnessing so many deaths she required psychiatric hospitalization—then died by suicide. Dr. Leigh Sundem lost her job due the pandemic. Indian Dr. Poulami Saha, a pediatrics resident stepped off the 6th floor of her COVID-19 hospital before her shift. French physician, Dr. Bernard Gonzalez died by suicide recovering from the virus while in isolation with his wife. Within a week, we lost two Italian nurses. Daniela Trezzi, RN, recovered from coronavirus yet feared she may have infected patients. A second Nurse died by suicide in Venice and another Nurse at her London hospital. Rookie EMT John Mondello traumatized by so many deaths in NYC took his life. In the last few days we lost Sgt. First Class Leo Paz and a US Pediatrician. I just learned of an Australian Intern Dr. Ira Poon this evening.

We must be proactive to prevent more suicides.

And I need your help.

Please.

Join us Sunday, May 17, to honor these beautiful people & watch award-winning documentary (view movie trailer) by Emmy-winning filmmaker on how to prevent physician suicide followed by expert panel on coping with vicarious trauma & preventing physician PTSD. Join us here. **Please share**

Tags: COVID doctor suicides, COVID nurse suicides, Covid-19 Suicides, Daniela Trezzi, Dr. Bernard Gonzalez, Dr. Poulami Saha, John Mondello, Leigh Sundem, Lorna Breen, Sgt. First Class Leo Paz

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View Do No Harm Film—Sundays in May for Mental Health Awareness Month →

View full-feature award-winning documentary by Emmy-winning filmmaker that exposes the doctor suicide crisis—and offers SOLUTIONS—followed by expert panels and interactive Q/A. Every Sunday! Register here & View trailer .

Questions? Need help? Contact Dr. Wible here.

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Dr. Leigh Sundem dies by suicide. Here’s her last request. →

Dr. Leigh Sundem, a phenomenal physician died by suicide. Accomplished & super-smart with a 4.0 GPA, even aced the MCAT, yet was unmatched to residency 3 times . . . so she scrambled twice into temporary spots (but couldn’t get anything the third time). Even though she had 16 academic awards, 6 professional leadership positions, 5 research projects, 8 scientific publications, 9 scientific presentations, 10 years of teaching experience, and membership in 12 professional organizations, Leigh was left unemployable due to discrimination WITHIN medicine from her drug addiction as a teen For which she was a vocal advocate—celebrated by the nation—15 years clean & sober, a success story! Devoted to healing others. But the medical profession killed her dream. In her suicide note, she leaves us one request. . . .

Please join us for SOLUTIONS, Sunday, May 3—an expert panel discussion after viewing the Do No Harm documentary by Emmy-winning filmmaker exposing the hidden suicide crisis among doctors. Learn simple ways you can prevent the loss of any more beautiful people like Leigh. View trailer & join us here.

Tags: Addiction discrimination in medicine, Leigh Sundem Discrimination, Leigh Sundem MD, Leigh Sundem Suicide, mental health discrimination in medicine

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Dr. Leigh Sundem dies by suicide due to discrimination →

Dr. Leigh Sundem died by suicide when she was obstructed from practicing medicine due to discrimination related to her drug addiction as a teen. Clean & sober 15 years, she was an advocate for others in recovery, even testifying to congress. With countless awards in med school, Leigh was a phenomenal physician, yet (after 3 years of applying) was never accepted into required residency training. Leigh did not want to die. Unmatched to residency, unemployed with student loans due, she saw no way out. In her suicide note, she asked her family to contact me & gave us instructions to share the truth so her story “goes viral” and starts a REAL conversation about ending the stigma of addiction in medicine. So Please . . .

1) Celebrate Leigh now by sharing your addiction or mental health recovery.

2) Support her Memorial Scholarship here.

3) Watch the award-winning film by Emmy-winning filmmaker on SUNDAY, MAY 3 on our doctor suicide crisis with an expert panel addressing the specific factors that led to Leigh’s suicide so we never lose one more doctor again. Register here. (10% of film proceeds will be donated to Leigh Sundem Memorial Scholarship). Please share. View movie trailer (and join us Sundays in May for additional screenings & interactive expert panel discussions).

Tags: Leigh Sundem, Leigh Sundem Discrimination, Leigh Sundem MD, Leigh Sundem Suicide, MD Suicide

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Physician suicides due to COVID-19 & mental health impact to doctors →

Reporter: Here on CBS in Los Angeles every week we’re taking a deeper look into the toll that this pandemic is taking on our mental health and how we can manage our new normal. Our healthcare workers are facing trauma no one could ever prepare for—a doctor in New York, for example, who recovered from COVID-19 and then continued to treat other patients even ended up taking her own life. Joining me now to talk about this is Dr. Pamela Wible. She runs a suicide prevention hotline for physicians and is also the author of Physician Suicide Letters—Answered. (free audiobook) Doctor, thank you for the time such a serious and important topic right now.

Dr. Wible: Thank you for having me and thank you for broaching this topic which has been so taboo quite honestly for a long time.