Individuals With Lived Experience Of Psychiatric Illness Have Long Been Our Allies In The Mental Health Movement. They Have Advanced Our Understanding Of Phenomenology, Sharpened Our Diagnostic Nosology, Refined Our Treatment Approaches, And Joined Forces With Us In Our Fight To Overcome Stigma. What Is Less Common Is When These Individuals Are Our Colleagues In Medicine, Fellow Physicians. The Gist Of This Book Is To Highlight And Honor The Shared Narratives Of Medical Students And Physicians About Their Lived Experiences. Their Stories Are Diverse, Compelling, And Rich. They Impact The Mental Health Field In Multiple Ways: They Debunk False Notions That Medical Students And Physicians With Mental Illness Cannot Practice Medicine And That It Is Weak To Seek Mental Health Care; Experiential Learning Enhances The Reader's Understanding Of Various Psychiatric Diagnoses And Their Intricacies; Because The Story-teller Is A Fellow Medical Professional (or Trainee), Readers Are Touched Emotionally And This Increases Their Empathy For Their Patients; The Authors Serve As Professional Role Models For Their Medical Colleagues - They Speak Truths, Exemplify Integrity, Reveal Authenticity, Illustrate Self-compassion, Practice Altruism, And Represent Courage; Readers Who Themselves Have Lived Experience But Are Closeted In Shame And Fear, No Longer Feel So Alone And Isolated - And Often Reach Out For Treatment, In Some Cases Care That Is Life-saving; Every Story Chips Away At Stigma, Stigma That Is Ubiquitous In The House Of Medicine - In Our Medical Schools, Residency Programs, Medical Centers And Institutions, Credentialing Systems, Licensing Boards And More; Their Words Diminish The We (doctor)/them (patient) Divide, A Divide That Is Often Dehumanizing In Medicine; Contrary To Common Lore, Most Patients Who Read Their Doctor's Shared Experience React Positively, Feeling A Closer Connection To Their Physician And Strengthening The Healing Dyad; Recounting One's Story - And Impacting Others - Feels Good, Not Only Reinforcing Wellness But Also Sparking Further Self-disclosures-- Provided By Publisher.