Experts Offer Advice for Tough Times

ER Doctor Rachel Alt

• “If you don’t have insurance, find a public hospital in your area. Some will agree to charge only what you can pay based on your income. (If you’re not sure if the hospital near you is public, look for the words ‘public’ or ‘county’ in the name.) But no matter what kind of hospital you go to, the doors of the ER should always be open.”
• “Find a sympathetic ear to talk to through the hard times. I confide in my partner about the things I did well, in addition to the mistakes that I worry I’ve made. Unfailingly, he tells me how proud he is of me and the work I’m doing.”
• “Taking a mental-health day helps me keep my balance. My parents used to let me to do it in high school once a semester for no other reason than to increase my sense of well-being, and I’m still grateful. Now, once a year, the ER docs do the same thing. We play Frisbee, go hiking, and goof off. It’s important to realize you can take a day off and the world won’t fall apart.”