Description

How Do You Feel? by Dr. Jessi Gold is a powerful and deeply personal memoir that thoughtfully examines the hidden emotional and physical burdens carried by caregivers. Described as a “thought-provoking exploration of healing and compassion in the face of adversity” by Dr. Jen Gunter, the New York Times bestselling author of The Menopause Manifesto, this insightful book follows psychiatrist Dr. Gold alongside four of her patients, each navigating complex mental health challenges linked to caregiving roles, making it particularly appealing to readers of books such as Maybe You Should Talk to Someone and The In-Between.

Dr. Gold, an assistant professor, practicing psychiatrist, and wellness leader at a university, had grown accustomed to a demanding lifestyle centered around the relentless needs of others—her patients, coworkers, and loved ones, always at the expense of her own wellbeing. However, when she makes an unexpected error during a patient session, she is forced for the first time to genuinely confront and address her own mental health struggles. This transformative experience leads Dr. Gold onto a path of reflection and self-discovery, in which she reexamines her relationship to the medical system that trained her and begins to recognize the toll caretaking has taken on her personally and professionally.

Through heartfelt and vividly portrayed narratives of her caregiver patients—a medical resident struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a nurse facing post-traumatic stress disorder while pregnant, a medical student battling severe test anxiety, and an overwhelmed emergency room physician—Dr. Gold thoughtfully unpacks the deep-rooted impacts of burnout, perfectionism, and chronic emotional stress pervasive within healthcare fields. Interwoven with her own profound therapy sessions, these emotional accounts collectively underscore the universal struggle of caregivers to preserve their humanity amidst constant demands.

Blending her extensive professional knowledge seamlessly with memorable and emotionally resonant stories, Dr. Gold delivers a memoir that is both intimately personal and broadly relevant. How Do You Feel? highlights the importance of nurturing meaningful connections, fostering growth through introspection, and, above all, reminds readers of the essential truth that to care compassionately for others we must first learn how to take care of ourselves. A deeply moving and insightful book, How Do You Feel? will resonate deeply with those in caregiving professions, as well as anyone seeking to better understand the profound implications mental health has on our everyday lives.