Mad Hatter MD: When Medicine Imitates Art

By Anita Campbell

This book is a cautionary tale of a 'Lady Doctor', who found herself stuck in a fairy tale of pain, disenchantment and abandonment.

Forced to dive down the 'rabbit hole' of modern-day medicine, over a two-year period she encounters obstacles and characters, who, consistently challenged, and discounted her.

Out

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr Anita Campbell
• Release date: Oct 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9780645290318

Anita Campbell

Dr. Anita Campbell's first book, Good friends Bring Salad, was published by Wakefield press in 2006. After starting her medical career as a nurse, she went on to complete her junior doctor training in urban, rural and remote locations in Western Australia, and achieved a fellowship with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners six years after graduating from medical school.In 2014 Anita published research articles in both national and international medical and psychiatric journals on the topic of suicide and self-harm in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Subsequently, she completed further training in the management of mental health, drug and alcohol related conditions, and the use of medicinal cannabis in chronic health conditions.Anita continues to be passionate about patient-centred, trauma-informed and equitable health care. As a result of her journey, she is now focusing on health promotion and healing as a priority. Her website, www.madhattermd.com, encourages people to work on and heal from trauma and toxins.

Book preview

1

DOCTOR

The word doctor comes from the Latin word for ‘teacher,’ itself from docēre, meaning to teach.

⁴

In the first part of this book, I want to explore my profession, medicine. The culture, the origin, the expectations, the politics, and the barriers.

I want to understand why I am being told my condition is in my head, despite minimal investigations, and my deterioration. You would have thought as a fellow doctor I would be believed and taken seriously, but in fact, it is possibly my job that makes them confident this is all stress related. They know the job and the pressure I am under, it is stressful, but is that a good enough excuse to ignore me?

How did we get here? Where did it all go wrong? Why do doctors seem disinterested? Why do we constantly hear horror stories about rushed five-minute consults and patients feeling unheard? Why don’t people trust us? Why is there a GP shortage? And why is doctor health and well-being deteriorating rapidly?

Maybe it has something to do with this. In 2011, at graduation I swore to this oath:

Declaration of Geneva⁵

At the time of being admitted as a member of the medical profession:

I solemnly pledge to consecrate my life to the service of humanity;

I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude that is their due;

I will practise my profession with conscience and dignity;

The health of my patient will be my first consideration;

I will respect the secrets that are confided in me, even after the patient has died;

I will maintain, by all the means in my power, the honour and the noble traditions of the medical profession;

My colleagues will be my sisters and brothers;

I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient;

I will maintain the utmost respect for human life;

I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat;

I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honour.

On reflection, it was all there in writing, I said it out loud. I knew what it said, and I thought I knew what it meant.

Is it realistic, achievable or even humane? Can modern day doctors possibly fulfill this oath? Could it make us sick?

The irony here is that the oath, sworn by physicians (doctors) across the world, was originally documented circa AD 275, and named for the Greek physician Hippocrates. It has been modified many times; but it is pretty much the same as the above, except for these phrases:⁵,⁶

Hippocratic Oath AD 275

I swear by Apollo the physician, and Asclepius, and Hygieia and Panacea and all the Gods,

I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgement,

I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will

I advise such a plan; and similarly, I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion,

I will not use the knife, even upon those suffering from stones, but

I will leave this to those who are trained in this craft,

So long as I maintain this Oath faithfully and without corruption, may it be granted to me to partake of life fully and the practice of my art, gaining the respect of all men for all time.

The nobleness of the profession was there from the start, this explains a lot about medical history and those chosen to be physicians. Whilst obviously misogynistic, and somewhat cult-like in origin, there is a long history of common ideals regarding health and well-being, with the strongest being the idea of ‘holistic medicine,’ the importance of nutrition and the power of the mind to cure illness.

Throughout this book and in modern day medicine, we find many connections to Greek mythology.

They are ancient stories about Gods, Goddesses and heroes, known as folklore. These stories remain the basis for much of our medical knowledge and social constructs followed today. In order to appreciate how these stories have shaped modern medicine and society today, we should probably know more about it. Who are these healthcare Gods we were to swear by?

Apollo: The God of healing, truth, and prophecy. He was said to have had many lovers. He dealt bitter punishments when crossed. Daphne, his first wife, in her efforts to escape him, was transformed into a sacred shrub now known as the bay leaf and worn around the head of Greek heroes; Another partner, Coronis, was killed by Apollo for being unfaithful while she was pregnant with their son Asclepius. Apollo cut his live son out and she died. Cassandra, rejected his advances, she was punished by being made to utter true prophecies that no one believed.⁷

Asclepius: Son of Apollo and Coronis, the demi-God of medicine. He was known to use plants and herbs, as well as the power to heal the sick in his dreams and bringing people back to life. He was raised by his father, Apollo, following the death of his mother Coronis, his name means ‘to cut open.’ Asclepius’ symbol, a well-known medical symbol still used today, was a single snake entwined around his staff.⁷

Hygieia: The Greek Goddess of health and hygiene. She believed that health is achieved with a balance of mind, body and environment. Legend suggests she was probably a daughter of Asclepius. She too is symbolised with a snake, often in her hand. Hygieia believed the body has the power to heal itself. Interestingly, in modern day the US company Hygiena, a major player in the diagnostic substance manufacturing industry, has an annual revenue of approx. US$96millon.⁷

Panacea: The Greek Goddess of remedy. She too is considered a daughter of Asclepius. She was said to have the potions and poultice to cure any illness, thus the meaning of the word panacea; ‘a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases.’ The Indian company Panacea Biotec is a biotechnology company doing research and development, manufacturing, sales, distribution and marketing of pharmaceuticals and vaccines; the company have started production of a Covid19 vaccine.⁷

I wonder if, by removing those holistic Greek myths/philosophies and the value of nutrition from our oath, have we moved away from a patient centred approach to health and illness and detracted from the influences of the mind, body and environment?

Is modern day medicine physician focussed and medication dependent?

2

THE CULTURE OF MEDICINE

‘The integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behaviour that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations.’

⁸

After reflecting on the principles of both modern and ancient medicine, there is a clear evolution placing the doctor at the centre of illness and medication at the centre of healthcare. This shift has also affected the culture of medicine, and it’s this culture that is making our doctors’