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The Mid-Career Demon
Timothy P. Daaleman
Background When family physician Timothy Daaleman felt a "greyness" shading his practice of medicine--a restlessness and lack of meaning in his work--he sought insight in the ancient concept of acedia. Acedia, which dates back to the fourth-century, is characterized by lack of caring and typically afflicts those in mid-life.
What This Study Found Dr. Daaleman, a mid-career physician, found that other physicians in his cohort reported the lowest satisfaction with their specialty choice and work-life balance and highest rates of emotional exhaustion and burnout. He reasoned that acedia and burnout could be part of a continuum of professional and personal challenges facing doctors across their careers. As he continued caring for patients, however, he developed a new understanding of hope, one that strengthened his capacity to trust and helped him "see light in the midst of such darkness."
