Overview

"A pediatric oncologist and palliative care physician, Dr. Adam B. Hill, suffers stress and disillusionment with the culture of medicine, leading to alcoholism, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Then while in recovery, he loses a mentor to suicide, revealing the extent of the burnout epidemic in the medical field. By sharing his harrowing story, Dr. Hill shows how this problem manifests, considers ways to address it, and confronts commonplace attitudes regarding self-care, recovery/treatment, empathy, and vulnerability amongst medical practitioners. His book is a road map for better practices at a time when doctors around the world are struggling in silence. Long Walk Out of the Woods is a game-changing personal narrative and prescriptive book. It expands on Dr. Hill's famous 2017 essay in the New England Journal of Medicine, ""Breaking the Stigma: A Physician’s Perspective on Recovery and Self-Care""."

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9781949481228

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(Library Journal) Hill, MD, Adam B. Long Walk Out of the Woods: A Physician's Story of Addiction, Depression, Hope, and Recovery. Central Recovery Press. Dec. 2019. 170p. ISBN 9781949481228. pap. $16.95; ebk. ISBN9781949481235 Oncologist Hill (pediatric palliative care, Indiana Univ. Riley Hospital for Children) shares a deeply personal story of addiction, depression, hope, and recovery in an effort to improve access, treatment options, and resources for all affected by similar conditions. Writing from firsthand experience, he relates feelings of extreme turmoil as well as the disappointments he faced in seeking treatment, emphasizing throughout the important role empathy plays in the process of healing and understanding the suffering of others with addiction issues. VERDICT Hill's engaging memoir comes with lessons for students and those working primarily in the medical field.--Deborah Bigelow, Dexter District Library, MI This book is a wake-up call, not only for the medical profession, but for our culture at large.--Eben Alexander, MD, Neurosurgeon and Author of Proof of Heaven Exposing the stigmatizing and illogical aspects of the culture of medicine when it comes to caring for our own, this book has the power to transform an already shifting culture and should be required reading for all medical trainees.--Christine Moutier, MD, Chief Medical Officer, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention I did not need to read this book to be able to describe the incredible integrity and merits of Dr. Adam Hill. I've had the honor of working with him on some very difficult cases over the years. Reading Long Walk Out of the Woods, however, gives one the insight necessary to gain an understanding of the suffering Adam endured in a way that, hopefully, will help others in the same boat. In reading his words, he is both the fragile man in the book and the amazing man that he has become in recovery. His transparency and integrity will undoubtedly help reduce fear associated with being honest. His commitment to reduce stigma and embrace being a flawed human being as we all are is an example for us all. Thank you, Adam, for the courage and the reminder!--Jim Ryser, MA, LMHC, LCAC, TTS, Chronic Pain and Addiction Specialist, former Arista Records solo artist and guitarist for John Mellencamp Although about addiction and depression, this is a hope-filled book that speaks directly to those overworked, over-committed and burned out. Dr. Hill is the prototypical wounded healer whose life story exemplifies that in helping others reciprocal healing occurs. For those feeling helpless and hopeless, this book can be life-saving.--Joseph Maroon, MD, Professor of Neurosurgery and Heindl Scholar in Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Author of Square One: The Secret to a Balanced Life There's no healing without connection, no matter how much we want it to be otherwise. This is the very honest, true, unadorned story of a young man who wants to be a doctor without quite knowing why and who cracks up on the rocks of self-will, depression, and addiction. He very nearly drowns, but happily for him, for his patients, and the rest of us, he does not. He survives and learns how to use his suffering for his own and the greater good, and for more connection, less isolation, and more healing. Thank you, Adam.--Mark Vonnegut, MD Adam Hill has given us an extraordinary gift. Yes, Dr. Hill is a natural storyteller and the writing is beautiful. Yes, the observations he makes about the isolation of physicians struggling in a system that despises weakness are astonishing and desperately needed. And yes, his suggestions for transforming the culture of medicine, which has grown so ill, are among the wisest and most insightful words on the topic I have read in a decade. These are all gifts, and we should be deeply grateful to him. But the truly extraordinary gift he has given us is the gift of his own honesty and vulnerability. He has offered a hope that heals to those of us who have struggled with depression, addiction, anxiety, or the lonely fear that so many of us experience in the journey called becoming a doctor. By opening himself to us, he has shown us a way out of the woods. I wish every medical student, resident, and attending physician in the country had a copy of this extraordinary book.--Raymond Barfield, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Christian Philosophy, Duke University Long Walk Out of the Woods is a memoir of addiction and redemption told with self-awareness, humility, and candor. Dr. Hill exposes the professional obstacles that doctors experience when they seek help for depression and substance use. --Dr. Judy Melinek, Coauthor of Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and The Making of a Medical Examiner Stigma is a formidable barrier to mental healthcare. Consequently, despite the availability of effective treatment, many people with mental health difficulties, especially physicians, continue to suffer in silence. Dr. Adam Hill's candid and courageous account of his lived experience as a doctor who recovered from a mental health condition is a watershed moment in medicine and will undoubtedly help to combat stigma and discrimination and break down the barriers to mental healthcare for those who urgently need it. Long Walk Out of the Woods traces Dr. Hill's inspirational recovery journey. His moving story will make you cry tears of joy and sorrow and will provide you with a precious insight into the heart and mind of an extraordinary man.--Ahmed Hankir, MD, Royal College of Psychiatrists award-winning doctor and author of The Wounded Healer

(Library Journal) Hill, MD, Adam B. Long Walk Out of the Woods: A Physician's Story of Addiction, Depression, Hope, and Recovery. Central Recovery Press. Dec. 2019. 170p. ISBN 9781949481228. pap. $16.95; ebk. ISBN9781949481235 Oncologist Hill (pediatric palliative care, Indiana Univ. Riley Hospital for Children) shares a deeply personal story of addiction, depression, hope, and recovery in an effort to improve access, treatment options, and resources for all affected by similar conditions. Writing from firsthand experience, he relates feelings of extreme turmoil as well as the disappointments he faced in seeking treatment, emphasizing throughout the important role empathy plays in the process of healing and understanding the suffering of others with addiction issues. VERDICT Hill's engaging memoir comes with lessons for students and those working primarily in the medical field.--Deborah Bigelow, Dexter District Library, MI

Author Information

Dr Adam B. Hill is the division chief of pediatric palliative care at Riley Hospital for Children. Dr. Hill is graduate of Butler University for his undergraduate work and Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSOM). He completed his pediatric residency training at St. Louis University, a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Duke University and a palliative medicine fellowship at Indiana University. His work in palliative care is focused on allowing patients to live the best quality of life possible, in the midst of chronic, life-limiting and/or life threatening medical conditions. In addition, he works with colleagues on debriefing clinical work to decrease caregiver distress by finding meaning and purpose in the work and is the founder/director of Compassion Rounds at Riley Hospital for Children, a town hall humanities based forum to process human emotions in healthcare. Dr Hill has a passion for international medical work, with opportunities to work in Kenya, Belize, Mexico and Tanzania over the past decade. Dr. Hill also serves as the medical director for Camp Little Red door, a week long, full immersion summer camp for children/siblings living with cancer. Finally, Dr. Hill is passionate about physician wellness and self-care in the context of changing the culture of medicine surrounding mental health conditions and addiction. In 2017, Dr. Hill published a groundbreaking New England Journal of Medicine articled titled “Breaking the Stigma: A Physician’s Perspective on Self- Care and Recovery”. In this article and his lectures, Dr. Hill shares his own story of personal recovery from depression and substance use. As a result, Dr. Hill has become a national recognized lecturer on the topic, including an upcoming book publication with Central Recovery Press entitled Long Walk Out of the Woods: Lessons from a Physician’s Addiction Recovery, to be published in February 2020.

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