Can there be hope amid politics? [PODCAST]

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“Humans are complex. Humans are multifaceted. Humans are capable of grit and determination. This means that humans are also worthy of hope.

If I learned anything from watching this moment in history, I realize that it’s not about being a ‘Democrat’ or a ‘Republican’ it’s about being human.

What we do now will echo through future generations. My hope is that we choose to be better tomorrow than we are today.”

Anjani Amladi is a psychiatrist and can be reached at her self-titled site, Anjani Amladi, MD.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, “Can there be hope amid politics?”

This episode is sponsored by Elsevier Health. Looking to update your personal or professional medical library? Shop Elsevier Health’s Holiday Sale and save up to 35% on your purchase of medical books! Plus, you can take an extra 5% off your order with code KEVINMD at checkout. Take advantage of the biggest sale of the year from Elsevier, the world-leading provider of medical books and reference materials. Shop us.elsevierhealth.com now through December 31.

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Hosted by Kevin Pho, MD, The Podcast by KevinMD shares the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from.

Transcript

Kevin Pho: Hi, and welcome to the show, where we share the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from. My name is Kevin Pho, founder and editor of KevinMD. Today on the show we have Anjani Amladi. She is a psychiatrist, and she wrote the KevinMD article “Can there be hope amid politics?” Anjani, welcome to the show.

Anjani Amladi: Thank you.

Kevin Pho: So we’ll get into your article in a little bit, but first off, can you share your story and your journey to where you are today?

Anjani Amladi: Sure. So I’m originally from California. I’m actually the only person in my family who’s in medicine; everyone else in my family is in business. I did all of my schooling, from preschool through college, in California. I went to medical school in Pennsylvania and turned around and came straight back to California for residency and my child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship, which I actually just finished this year.

Kevin Pho: Wonderful. And a lot of your KevinMD contributions discuss that intersection between medical conditions and politics. Now, we’re talking in the middle of November, and we’ve just finished with the election. What are some themes within psychiatry that are related to politics that you’re seeing in your patients right now?

Anjani Amladi: Sure, that’s a great question. So I have recently had an overwhelming amount of anxiety that shows up in my office. I see adults as well as children and adolescents, and I think the most striking thing, ever since 2016 actually, is the amount of anxiety that I’m seeing overwhelmingly in my practice right now, particularly among children and adolescents.

Kevin Pho: And of course it’s a particularly stressful time, not only with the election and the polarized nature of our country, but of course we have the pandemic now. What kind of advice and approach are you taking with a lot of these patients?

Anjani Amladi: So a lot of it is dealing with the anticipatory anxiety, which seems to be on a lot of kids’ and families’ minds. Generally, when we talk about anxiety, what we think might happen is often a lot worse than what actually does. Reframing in a positive mindset, tapping into coping skills, breathing exercises, and talking among family members and support systems, to really help keep things in perspective.

Kevin Pho: All right. So let’s transition into your KevinMD article, “Can there be hope amid politics?” Now, for those who haven’t read that article, can you just walk my audience through it and maybe share the story of why you decided to write it?

Anjani Amladi: Sure. So I think the basis of the article was watching the Democratic National Convention, and I thought that it was a really important article to write, just given the historic event that was happening with the first female vice president nomination, and especially the first female vice president of color. I think that reverberates quite strongly with many women specifically, and women of color, in this country.

I also happen to have four generations of women in my family that are alive; all of us are women of color. So to be able to witness this historic moment, I thought, was very important to write about and share from a perspective of a female physician who happens to also be a woman of color.

Kevin Pho: And now that Kamala Harris is the vice president-elect, tell me what that means to you.

Anjani Amladi: I think it’s very inspiring. I’m grateful in the sense that I have many female role models, none of whom look like me. So I think to have somebody with a similar story: She’s from the East Bay, which is where I’m from. She’s of Indian heritage, which I am also. She’s the daughter of immigrants; my father is actually an immigrant. He emigrated from India in his late teens, early 20s. There’s a lot of similarity, and I’m thinking, if I can see somebody who looks like me become as successful as she is, then there’s hope for the generations that come after her.

Kevin Pho: And another article that you wrote was “The many firsts of the 2020 election,” and I know that there were a lot of women who were elected, specifically to the House of Representatives. Can you talk more about that?

Anjani Amladi: It’s interesting, because in my “Can there be hope amid politics?” article, I actually mentioned that I’m not a very political person. I stay informed, I vote, I do my civic responsibility. But I think after that article, I’ve decidedly become more interested in politics, and paying attention to what’s happening right now has been something that’s actually been quite enjoyable for me. So to be able to watch other women, specifically young women, both on the Democratic and the Republican side, become more involved in politics, raise their voices, and be more involved in society as a whole and in the system as a whole, I think is really inspiring.

Kevin Pho: I want to get back to something that you said earlier in terms of dealing with the anxiety that’s been going on with the country. I think politics, like I said, has been so polarized. One side has won, and of course the other side has lost. Is there anything that you could do from a psychiatric standpoint to kind of help calm the nerves and help with the anxiety? You mentioned one thing about treating that anticipation, but talk a little bit further. What can we do from a psychiatric standpoint to perhaps help with that constant anxiety that our society is dealing with right now?

Anjani Amladi: Sure. And especially this fear and anxiety is surely worsened by the pandemic. So I think bringing it back to basics: really eating healthy, exercising, making sure that we’re getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and finding ways to stay connected. I think during the pandemic it’s very easy to feel isolated and alone, but being able to tap into those connections that help us feel like we belong somewhere, that we’re loved, that we’re cared about, is definitely very important.

Kevin Pho: So we are talking to Anjani Amladi. She is a psychiatrist, and she wrote the KevinMD article “Can there be hope amid politics?” Now, Anjani, is there something that you know now that you wish you knew back before the election and the pandemic started?

Anjani Amladi: I wish I was prepared for more of the negative feedback that I’ve gotten from the articles. I think it’s important, as a woman in particular, a woman of color, as well as a physician, to share the experiences that we don’t necessarily hear much about. So I wish I was a little bit more prepared for that. But I think some of the comments and the criticism that people have either commented on the article or sent me DMs, they’re valid points and they’re valid arguments. And I think having those discussions, and being able to have those discussions in that level-headed, mindful way, only moves the needle forward.

Kevin Pho: Can you share some of the criticism that you received after publishing that article?

Anjani Amladi: Sure. So one of the first comments that I read specifically about that article was: There’s no role for politics and medicine; that, especially given the medical nature, the umbrella that KevinMD falls under, there should not be a discussion about politics and medicine. After reading that comment, I had to sit on that for a little while, because I was trying to see it from the other person’s perspective, certainly, because it was a valid point.

However, I landed on the side of: I think it’s an important discussion to have, and be able to have that discussion in a meaningful and productive way. Because of the polarization, we were not able to have these conversations as openly as we used to, and being able to find middle ground is such an important part of moving forward.

Kevin Pho: And what are some ways that physicians can be more political?

Anjani Amladi: I think advocacy is a really great way. Staying informed, certainly: reading the headlines, looking at statistics, being able to share information that comes from reputable sources with their patients and their families in particular. And being able to really sit with the discomfort of people not having the same opinion as you, and being able to share and collaborate and find that middle ground. Because I truly believe that we have more in common than not, as individuals, as humans, people with friends and families and jobs. I really feel that there is more that unites us than divides us.

Kevin Pho: When we talk about the intersection between politics and medicine, that’s obviously going to impact the doctor-patient relationship in some cases. So if you’re talking to a patient who is on the opposite side of the political spectrum, what are some of the things that you do, and what advice can you give to other clinicians who may be in similar situations?

Anjani Amladi: Sure. I think the bottom line is to realize that it’s not personal; that people are a product of their environment, of the way that they were raised, of the experiences that they’ve had. Everybody who comes into the office, regardless of what side politically they’re on, has valid points. Although we may not necessarily agree with that, it should certainly not get in the way of forging a treatment relationship and being able to practice medicine in the same way that we would if somebody was on the same political side as us.

Kevin Pho: Is there anything that we can do as doctors to lower the temperature a few degrees and maybe decrease the amount of polarization that’s out there?

Anjani Amladi: Sure. I think there’s a knee-jerk reaction, when people disagree with us, to get quite defensive. And I think the answer, and granted, it’s easier said than done, is to realize that it’s not personal; that people’s ideas and thoughts and feelings are very different than their actual identity. And you don’t get a good longitudinal view of someone’s life given five minutes in an interview room. There’s so much more to a person than the way that they see the world politically.

Kevin Pho: And my final question: What is your take-home message that you want to leave with the KevinMD audience?

Anjani Amladi: I think it’s really important, like you just said, to really lower the temperature and put things into perspective. In general, even in the most heated elections, day-to-day life for most people doesn’t change that much. And I think that being able to kind of quell the anticipatory anxiety, and instead of worrying about things that are coming up around the corner, being mindful about what’s happening right now, because real life is happening right now. And if you’re focused on what’s happening five to 10 steps down the road, you’re missing out on your life.

Kevin Pho: Anjani, thank you so much for your time and insight, and thanks again for being on the show.

Anjani Amladi: Thanks so much.

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