is an outpatient psychiatrist at Prisma Health-Upstate and clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville. He served on the American Psychiatric Association’s Task Force to Address Structural Racism Throughout Psychiatry, and he currently serves as the Diversity and Inclusion section editor and advisory board member for

Frank A. Clark, MD

Society is fraught with infidelity. According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, national surveys indicate that 15% of married women and 25% of married men have had extramarital affairs.

 We are aware of the acute and chronic deleterious effects that these nefarious behaviors can have on the family unit. They include distrust, low self-esteem, 

 Often, affairs are in response to an individual’s attempt to fill a void in their relationship—to find something that they feel is missing. They ingest a concoction filled with enticing nutrients that provide the false promise of dopaminergic zeal. This promise quickly fades, leaving the soul once again parched and searching for its next lover.

8 Tips for Psychiatrists to Prevent Burnout

David E. “Daven” Morrison III, MD; and Andrew O. Brown, MD

We as physicians are not immune to this gravitational pull toward extramarital affairs. I can attest to this as someone who has been involved with my mistress throughout my career. She tempts you with long leadership titles in your signature line when sending emails. She whispers in your ear that ascending the social/professional ladder is the true meaning of success. She recognizes your moxie and suffocates you with unrelenting opportunities. She masquerades as an angel in a white coat, but her looks are deceptive. Her name is Medicine.

Throughout my life, family members, friends, and colleagues have posed the same question to me again and again: “Frank, do you ever slow down?” I would usually smile in response to their query and figure out how I could rationalize my pervasive hustle. In retrospect, I was in denial. Until recently, I did not have the courage to say, “I do not know what it is like to slow down.” Unfortunately, this denial would hunt me like a ravenous lion throughout my residency and for my first few years as an attending psychiatrist.

There is truth to the idiom that hindsight is 20/20. Years of therapy can help to foster insight and to bring unconscious behaviors and beliefs to our conscious awareness. My hustle, I came to realize, was rooted in a core belief that my identity was based on success in the forms of accolades and titles. Resting on my laurels was not an option for me. I started engaging in further exploration of myself. Of course, like any good psychiatrist, I had to reflect on how my childhood shaped these core beliefs.

Reflections on Childhood and Early Career

I grew up in a single-parent household in which my mother, a now-retired Chicago public school teacher, was intent on keeping my mind ever occupied. The importance of education was ingrained in me from an early age. My mother’s goal was to ensure that I was exposed to diverse educational experiences that would prepare me for my future. That exposure extended into the fine arts. I developed an affinity and passion for music and dance at an early age. I grew up playing several instruments and I enjoyed learning different forms of dance—tap, ballet, jazz. I enjoyed the exposure, but it came at a cost. I was always on the go with no time for solitude or respite. There was no such thing as a Sabbath in our house. Monday through Fridays consisted of school and music and dance lessons, and on Saturday and Sunday, I would practice my instruments from 5 AM to 3 PM. I became acclimated to this routine but, in retrospect, I see that it set me up for a trajectory that would lead to 

My journey through high school and college presented arduous but not insurmountable challenges. That all changed in medical school. I received the ultimate blessing—a full-tuition scholarship—but it was ultimately rescinded due to my academic struggles. I was diagnosed with depression, and for the first time in my life I had to sit with an array of emotions, in very unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. I could not run and hide behind the curtain of busyness that once protected me from my adverse childhood experiences.

Nonetheless, I persevered and graduated from medical school after 7 grueling years, with the aid of my faith, family, psychiatrist, and academic advisors and mentors. Entering residency, I was on a mission to prove that I belonged in the herd of white coats. It was then that my mistress made her first appearance, but I refused to acknowledge her presence. This lack of insight would have repercussions.

Residency was an enjoyable and transformative experience for me. I became engrossed in patient care—and in teaching 

, organized medicine, scholarly activity, multiple committees, and leadership roles. And I joined a local running group, too. Paid time off was primarily utilized for attending conferences and for medical mission trips. Vacations? Unheard of, for me. This cycle continued during my first few years as an attending and eventually spilled over into my personal life.

I consider being a husband and father the 2 most important blessings and accomplishments in life. However, I was not fully present in these roles because I was hyperfocused on my mistress. My identity was about being a successful physician. Most days, I was exasperated, and on occasion, I would even cry in the shower before going into work. The bond between my daughter and me was fragile, and at times, my wife and I were like 2 ships sailing in the wind that could capsize at any given moment. I did not like the person I had become. I was a stranger in my own body that was is need of repentance and rejuvenation.

The providential moment of enlightenment descended upon me when I turned 40 years old. Transformation occurred with the aid of prayer, family support, and numerous sessions with my therapist. I become more aware of and in tune with my true identity. My faith in God has always guided me through the joys and storms of my life. I had to remind myself that my identity lies within him. I realized that being a physician is just part of my identity puzzle. I am a father, husband, son, friend, visionary, creator, and poet.

It is refreshing to rediscover who one truly is in a world that offers the deceptive fruit of success. In October 2021, I advocated for myself and made the transition to a new clinical environment and out of a 

. My spirit has been at peace since the transition. I am present more than ever in my wife’s and daughter’s lives. I have had more time to focus on the pieces of my wellness puzzle that I neglected, such as writing poetry. I embrace the power of saying “no” and setting healthy boundaries. I have nothing to prove.

The journey of discovering the self requires a growth mindset and a willingness to admit that we are constantly evolving. My hope is that we all confront our mistresses of life that latch on to our unhealed wounds. The love affairs will persist and invade various areas of our life, until we finally face vulnerability in the mirror and embrace it.

1. Infidelity. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Updated July 2016. Accessed August 12, 2022. 

https://www.aamft.org/Consumer_Updates/Infidelity.aspx

2. Pour MT, Ismail A, Jaafar WMW, Yusop YM. 

Coping with infidelity: the moderating role of self-esteem.

Articles

Physicians are not immune to the gravitational pull toward extramarital affairs, particularly with the most alluring mistress: Medicine. 

The Alluring Mistress: Reflections From My Affair With Medicine

Day after day
Division seems
Beyond repair

And the floods
of biases declare
A national disaster

Hearts destroyed
By hubris
And breathless
Lung filled
with the smoke
of greed

Homes lose
their moral foundation
Windows stained
With inflexible thoughts

But the sun still rises
And hope shines
For another day
In a world seeking
Unity

Breaking news
Heightens trauma response
Fear lingers and plays
A game of fight
Flight or freeze

Centuries of despair
Moan for justice
And invite reform
At a hare’s pace

And evil does
Not surrender
It’s plight

But the sun still rises
And hope shines
For another day
In a world seeking
Unity

Some days
Humanity is dormant
And some days it
Erupts with pomp
And circumstance

Perhaps our current state
Will melt with raindrops of
Reconciliation

And just maybe
Dissonance will bend
Toward harmony

But the sun still rises
And hope shines
For another day
In a world seeking
Unity

On this September 11th—and always—we strive for unity... 

Unity

We are imperfect
Beings of logic
And heart

But logic does not
Always align with
Matters of the
Heart

Decisions are timely
Some are short-lived
Accompanied with tears
Of joy

Some are permanent
Accompanied with visceral
Sorrow and pain

Perhaps permanence of logic
Is what we seek
On the journey
Of heartbreak

But logic does not
Always align with
Matters of the
Heart

Maybe the decision
To just be
Is sufficient

Perhaps authenticity
Is not dead
And succors the
Ambivalent mind towards
Growth

But logic does not
Always align with
Matters of the
Heart

Maybe the decision
We make today
Is enough

No self-judgment
And no self-blame

Logic and heart
Can coexist on
The stage of life

But logic does not
Always align with
Matters of the
Heart

Decisions

 fosters innovative perspectives on peace via the arts. By looking to artists from various disciplines (eg, painting, sculpting, music, photography, and poetry), the festival hopes to cross cultural boundaries and cultivate open dialogues, healing, and reconciliation. With his impressive work in the arts and healing, this year 

Diversity and Inclusion Editor, will be a featured speaker.

We invited Dr Clark to share his thoughts on the festival, and how the arts and psychiatry can and should work closely with one another.

: How has the arts helped you to find peace and healing? How do you leverage the arts in your clinical practice to promote understanding and resiliency?

: The arts provide a perpetual sense of inward renewal and transformation for my mind, body, and soul. We all seek to find balance and improve self-regulation throughout our lives. Writing poetry has allowed me to strive toward these goals.

I first started writing poetry when I was medical school and used poetry to transcend living with clinical depression and cope with the arduous journey of medical school. It remains a cathartic antidote for me. It also has helped me become more vulnerable in regard to sharing my work with a wider audience.

I encourage my colleagues and my patients to tap into their creative side. We are multi-dimensional beings who must embrace our authenticity as we seek to find meaning and purpose in our lives. The arts serve as the mouthpiece that unites humanity and fosters humility.

: This will be my first time attending the International Peace Festival. After the South Carolina Philharmonic world premiere of Three Song to Poems by composer Dick Goodwin, DMA, in February 2022, I have been determined to share my work on a global stage. I received positive feedback from the Festival after they listened to the performance. Months later, much to my surprise, they invited me to be a keynote speaker for the festival.

I am most looking forward to the experience of being at festival that promotes peace and healing through multiple forms of art. I believe it will be a gratifying experience to be in a space that fosters transformation, reconciliation, and love.

: Can you tell us a bit about your talk at the festival as well as some of the other speakers?

: I consider it an honor and a blessing to be one of the featured speakers. I will be a part of a panel highlighting the intersectionality between music and medicine specifically focuses on mental health. I plan to talk about my service on the South Carolina Philharmonic board of directors and the creation of the 

, which has had a positive impact on patients and their families in our state. I will also talk about how I utilize poetry and music as a psychiatrist to help illuminate several topics in our society, including trauma, Black mental health, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and burnout.

The executive team has put together a diverse group of speakers which include, poets, journalists, musicians, composers, and chief executive officers who are have a shared interest in promoting harmony within humanity.

I recently had the opportunity to join a Zoom call with 2 of the speakers, Clifton Joseph and Kostantinos Matzaleris. In addition to this experience, we have begun brainstorming further ways we can collaborate in the future. They are both change agents who have done remarkable things throughout their careers. (You can read more about them at 

https://internationalpeacefestival.com/speakers

.)I am looking forward to their hearing about their experiences and invaluable contributions to help their communities flourish.

: Your commitment to social justice is impressive. Have you always been drawn to issues of “bettering the world?” Do you think it is a common trait among psychiatrists?

: I am of the belief that we are created to serve as vessels of change and light in our communities. Each of us has a gift that can be used to make the world a better place. I believe God has blessed me with the gift of creativity. When I implement this gift, I believe it glorifies Him and blesses others.

Poetry is my way of seeing, hearing, and advocating for humanity. I believe psychiatrists are committed to promoting humanity which beckons social justice.

The festival takes place September 21 – 25, 2022, in Toronto. Readers interested in attending the festival can learn more at 

Psychiatric Times Diversity and Inclusion Editor shares insights on the arts, humanity, and peace.

Psychiatrist Featured at Upcoming Peace Festival

A psychiatrist shares his reflections on inclusivity... and making room for all. 

Making Room

The sun shines on 988.
A three digit beacon of hope
for weeping minds.

Affirming voice answers the panicked caller.
An invitation for dormant vulnerability to awaken.

Dialogue becomes timeless and
life renews it’s faith and fervor.
A moment for stigma to be transformed.

Silence suffers in the depths of darkness.
Love ignites the spirit of humanity.

Reflections on the new suicide hotline...