# Brick Walls and Broken Hearts: Physicians Draw how they Feel About Treating Pain and Addiction

## TL;DR

Physicians in Arizona drew their feelings about treating chronic pain and addiction, revealing stress, lack of preparation, and empathy.

## Contribution

A novel visual method to explore physicians' emotional experiences in treating pain and addiction.

## Key findings

- Drawings showed themes of burnout, anxiety, and empathy among physicians.
- Physicians felt unprepared to treat a growing patient population with chronic pain and addiction.
- Visuals highlighted the emotional challenges in this area of care.

## Abstract

As part of a continuing medical education activity, primary care physicians in Arizona were asked to draw how they feel about treating patients with chronic pain and addiction. Their drawings, complete with cliffs, walls, torn-out hair, and connected hearts, make for a harrowing look at burnout, angst, and empathy among physicians who treat this subset of patients. Public health and exercise facilitators were troubled, leading them to publish this essay along with a selection of the drawings that depict the feelings of the physicians who feel ill-prepared to treat this patient population, which is only growing in number and needs.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11606-024-09205-8.