We can benefit from pondering the patients who elicit disproportionate emotions from us. Whether a patient is hostile, controlling, pressuring, or apathetic, our strong inner response teaches us something about our own pain and need for healing. The more healing we get, the less often we are triggered into an unpleasant emotional state. I’ve had a few unpleasant encounters in the last several years, and I process my emotions once I’m home: How do I feel? When have I felt this before? Did this patient remind me of someone? And so on. Never waste an opportunity to learn about the origins of your anger, your stewing over an interaction, your fight or flight or freeze response to a patient.
Physician, Get Healed 