Psychiatrist Dr. Paniz Johari: When a Patient Dies — Grief, Guilt & Radical Acceptance

"One of our social workers knocked on the door and said, so-and-so killed himself. I was just in shock."What do you do with the rest of your day after that? Psychiatrist Dr. Paniz Johari joins Dr. David Spiro to talk about one of the least-discussed parts of medicine — losing a patient, and carrying it afterward.Dr. Johari, an attending psychiatrist at Mather Hospital / Northwell Health, wrote a JAMA "A Piece of My Mind" essay called "On Losing a Patient" that moved David enough to reach out. Together they trace its thread: the shock and disbelief, replaying an encounter that felt "ordinary," the guilt of wondering what you missed, and the long work of separating confidence from certainty — what she calls "radical acceptance," and why accepting the limits of our control "is not surrendering."They also get into how psychiatrists weigh whether a patient is safe to go home, why she chose the field, what's happened to mental health since COVID, the roles of sleep, exercise, and diet, and the stigma that still surrounds psychiatric care.▶ Follow HuMed on Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode — it's the single best way to support the show.Chapters:0:00 Intro — Dr. Paniz Johari and her essay1:37 Losing a patient: the story3:12 Writing as catharsis4:36 Hearing the news7:41 Assessing who's safe to go home11:09 "How ordinary it felt"14:34 Why she chose psychiatry17:25 Mental health since COVID21:13 Sleep, wearables, and mood25:58 The stigma around psychiatric care27:49 Therapy, exercise, and self-care34:04 "Accepting is not surrendering"If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 — the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7 in the US.HuMed with David Spiro, MD — unveiling the human side of medicine. New episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.podscan_rLPAXfcJVELgUhwcd66rLVyErpUcGFTV