Life After Retirement, “Re-firement,” Un-retirement, and Pre-retirement: Experiences of Four Psychiatrists

For health care professionals, especially psychiatrists, retirement is not a narrowly defined process. Retirement only means the end of a specific work-related job. It is closely related to aging although the impact of aging on the body and mind varies. In recent decades, there has been growing focus on healthy aging, which is associated with continued professional activity. This article summarizes retirement-related personal experiences described by four psychiatrists who are clinicians and academicians from diverse backgrounds. Three of us have technically retired from our previously titled specific jobs, but all remain markedly active as psychiatrists. Each has a sense of purpose, continues to be productive, and maintains close, positive connections with colleagues and community. The fourth and youngest of us is at least a decade away from retirement and plans to continue life's thrilling journey delightedly. Our experiences exemplify how retirement does not require a health care professional to abandon other vital aspects of their lifelong professional activity and identity, such as learning, helping, serving, caring, reading, writing, teaching, discussing, and understanding. Psychodynamic and positive orientations in particular lead to a strong belief in the need to be an active and compassionate member of the community who helps promote one's own as well as others' well-being. The so-called retirement provides a psychiatrist with the opportunity to ponder, deepen, and savor the adventure of living within the context of an exceptionally broad range of experience with the human condition.