Be sure to scroll down after this story to find links to extensive Medscape Medical News coverage addressing mental health and medical professionals.
The nightmares started in his second quarter of medical school.
Darrell Kirch, MD, had struggled with anxiety since early childhood but this was another level. He was feeling burned out while studying anatomy in the cadaver lab. The combination brought jarring anxiety dreams. “It was brutal,” he said. “I started having nightmares about our cadaver coming alive and chasing me.”
Kirch made it through the quarter. But during the next break, he experienced a massive panic attack. Not just a few minutes of heart-pounding fear, it persisted for days. Kirch thought he was dying. Finally, he realized he was…