(Ziv Amsili is a pre-medical student who’s taken interest in physicians who authoring books. She’s created a series of interviews for SoMeDocs, which include some of the authors we featured in our BOOKS Directory).
Dr. Foti is an internist and mental health advocate who shares his personal and professional journey through mental health struggles in his book, Grief. The narrative delves into the loss of patients and the passing of his mother during the pandemic, alongside his reflections on the stigma of mental health in medicine. Dr. Foti writes with the hope of inspiring others to prioritize self-care and break the silence surrounding mental health challenges.
The creation of Grief began as a personal journal, written on the advice of Dr. Foti’s psychologist to help him process his emotions. The pivotal moment came when he shared his story at speaking engagements. “After several speaking engagements sharing my story, I realized this journal could actually have a powerful impact should it be a book,” Dr. Foti said.
The creation of Grief began as a personal journal, written on the advice of Dr. Foti’s psychologist to help him process his emotions.
Writing the book was no easy task. “It was quite difficult reliving those moments, but I knew how important my story was,” Dr. Foti admitted. To manage the emotional toll, he allowed his writing to be driven by inspiration. “I decided only to write whenever I had that ‘itch’ to do so, so to speak. I wanted my writing to come only when I was inspired by emotions from my past.”
Dr. Foti relied on his determination to inspire others and drew strength from his family. “I’d do anything for my wife and children, and I know they needed me. They needed me to be my best me, and that meant getting the help I needed,” he said.
SoMeDocs is pleased to announce a virtual conference focusing on writing as a healthcare professional. Topics range from Book Publishing — Getting Started, to Writing Fiction: The Secret Sauce that Keeps Readers Turning Your Pages, and more.
He also made the decision to leave nothing out, ensuring Grief would be both authentic and personal. “I’m an open book! No pun intended!” he said. The result is a narrative that is deeply personal yet universally relevant, connecting his individual struggles to broader systemic issues in healthcare, particularly the stigma surrounding mental health.
For aspiring writers, Dr. Foti offers this advice: “I believe you should only put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) when passion strikes. Don’t write just to write. Any words you put down should be so powerful, it drove you to sit down to write them.
