This singular editorial offers a disarmingly honest account of spiraling anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation beneath the polished exterior of academic success, leadership, and productivity . The essay’s power lies not in novelty—these pressures are painfully familiar to countless physicians—but in the author’s willingness to name them plainly, including moments of shame, isolation, and fear that many clinicians privately recognize but rarely articulate. The public disclosure of leave-taking, intensive outpatient therapy, and ongoing vulnerability is an act of professional courage in a culture that quietly rewards stoicism and silence. By framing burnout as a chronic, relapsing condition requiring multimodal treatment and boundaries—not grit—he reframes recovery as clinical insight rather than personal failure. The result is a rare piece that trades performative resilience for common humanity, offering permission for physicians to seek help before becoming a cautionary tale. | Golden, Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2026
