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Laurel Braitman: From Healthcare Workers To The Rest Of Us — How Can We Better Cope?

Dr. Laurel Braitman speaks from the TED stage.
Ryan Lash
/
TED
Dr. Laurel Braitman speaks from the TED stage.

About The Episode

Healthcare jobs are already stressful. Add a pandemic... and ongoing police brutality? And it's a lot. We hear from physicians of color and TED Fellow Laurel Braitman about taking care of ourselves.

About Laurel Braitman

Senior TED fellow Laurel Braitman is a writer and clinical chaplain in training. She is a professor and the director of writing and storytelling at the Stanford School of Medicine, where she leads free writing workshops for medical students, physicians, and other healthcare professionals.

Braitman's writing about science, nature, beauty, and loss has appeared in the New York Times, Guardian, National Geographic and more. Her forthcoming book, House of the Heart, is about "growing up, mortality and how we might live with the perspective of a terminal disease without the dire prognosis."

She has a PhD from MIT in History, Anthropology, Science, Technology and Society, and a BA from Cornell University.

Featured Speakers

Brené Brown: The Power Of Vulnerability

Vulnerability is a key part of being human. Social worker and researcher Brené Brown explores the role of vulnerability—and connection—in processing difficult moments and managing our mental health.

Hailey Hardcastle: Why Students Should Have Mental Health Days

Teen activist Hailey Hardcastle fought for Oregon students to have mental health days in schools, just like sick days. She talks about how we all need to look after our mental health.

Andrew Solomon: Depression, The Secret We Share

Depression, grief, and sadness are each emotions that can take us by surprise. As a writer and psychology professor, Andrew Solomon knows how important it is to understand their differences.

Resources

If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Treatment Referral Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. And the National Suicide Prevention Hotline number is 1-800-273-8255.

This month the FCC approved 988 to be the national three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, similar to 911 for emergency services. As of this date of publish, the 988 is not currently active nationally but will be soon. In the meantime, please use 1-800-273-8255.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR/TED Staff