I was trapped by fear of what others thought. This is what set me free.

Physician coach and marriage and family therapy graduate student Jillian Rigert discusses her article, "Fear of other people's opinions nearly killed me. Here's what freed me." Jillian shares her harrowing journey through medical discharge from the military and transitioning out of surgery residency, which plunged her into guilt, shame, and a near-fatal struggle with self-worth tied to her career and others' approval. She describes how isolating and starving herself, she reached a rock bottom where apathy paradoxically led to a turning point: publishing deeply personal articles on KevinMD. This act of vulnerability, initially a way to get her story out before an anticipated death, brought unexpected support and began to lift the shame. Jillian explains her process of recovery, which involved detaching her worth from career achievements and, crucially, from the fear of other people's opinions. She emphasizes that understanding others' judgments as reflections of their own biases, and cultivating a curious, compassionate, and non-judgmental mindset towards herself and others, were key to her freedom. Jillian's powerful message is that your life is paramount, and she encourages listeners to question why they might prioritize external validation over their own self-perception, advocating for self-compassion and seeking support to reclaim their narratives.

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