KAROO NEWS - South African born and trained physician Dr Riaan van der Wart, came to the Karoo in early 2018 - mentally and physically exhausted. As a family and ER physician working in Canada, he needed to recover.
He found refuse for three months on a Karoo olive farm, Vrischgewacht near Prince Albert, and it was here where he felt Mother Karoo's healing embrace.
As a physician he has a deep interest in burnout, something that affects many people and is often misdiagnosed as depression. "To recover from burnout requires a dramatic intervention. If not, you will quickly find yourself in the same position, and potentially worse off than before. For me, the Karoo time was essential to my healing process," says Van der Wart.
It was only in May 2019 when burnout became an official medical diagnosis, as per the World Health Organization. Serious brain fog may warrant medical treatment. Regardless of industry, most professionals have felt it: fatigue, lack of focus, trouble completing minor tasks and chronic stress. "The treatment is individualised, and there is no one pill to fix it all," says Van der Wart.
For him it was painting. As a keen artist, he spent the time emptying the emotions and stress he accumulated from years of late-night shifts and inherited emotional trauma from patients.
"It is difficult to remain compassionate, and you build your walls high to protect yourself. Spending time focusing on yourself and releasing the past is key." He is currently hosting an art exhibit Kaarte van die Karoo on Instagram. You can find the exhibition at: https://www.instagram.com/riaan_van_der_wart_hollander/?igshid=1s5ndk3zx2xvw
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