When the doctor becomes the patient: Dr James Le Bas shares his story
Dr James Le Bas, author of Beyond Bipolar: Ancient Realms, New Directions
“I am writing from my experience as a patient, a psychiatrist, and a sometimes-academic…I am writing my truth in the hope that it contributes to a greater truth,”
With these words, retired psychiatrist and Adjunct Senior Lecturer in psychiatry at the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Dr James Le Bas, sets the tone for Beyond Bipolar: Ancient Realms, New Directions - his memoir that courageously bridges the divide between clinical expertise and lived experience of mental illness. In the book, Dr Le Bas reflects on his personal journey with bipolar disorder, drawing from both the realities of diagnosis and treatment, and insights from a long career spent treating others.
His book takes a step into the world of narrative medicine, a field of humanities that emphasises the importance of our stories in healthcare. It encompasses the ideas of listening carefully to the patient about their experiences, and the necessity for healthcare practitioners to share their own experiences as well. When healthcare practitioners like Dr Le Bas document their personal experiences with illness, they address the gap between clinical expertise and lived experience.
Such narrative approaches have proven invaluable in medical education, allowing future practitioners to develop deeper understanding of conditions they may treat, but have never experienced firsthand. Personal stories can illuminate aspects of bipolar disorder that clinical descriptions alone cannot capture. True to this concept, Dr Le Bas hopes that by sharing this detailed record of his experiences, he can help to alleviate some of the fear that surrounds bipolar disorder, and provide a useful resource for mental health practitioners and others with lived experience of bipolar disorder.
“With good care, I have been fortunate to be able to continue work as a psychiatrist until very recently, and my patients have been very supportive of this decision. I continue to make progress with my theoretical work, and lecture alongside colleagues,” Dr Le Bas explained.
Dr Le Bas’ memoir also contributes to a growing movement within healthcare to break the silence surrounding practitioners’ own mental health experiences. Historically, healthcare professionals have faced significant barriers to disclosing personal mental health conditions, fearing professional consequences, questions about competency, or being viewed differently by colleagues and patients.
“We need to address burnout and mental illness in ourselves and our colleagues for all of our benefit.”
By stepping forward with his story, Dr Le Bas contributes to an essential cultural shift within medicine that acknowledges vulnerability as a strength rather than a liability.
“Doctors, and society more widely, can only benefit from this honesty - other voices are already making themselves heard.”
Read more about Dr Le Bas’ book here.
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation.
With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities.
As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
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