D+D Series - Advice from a Palliative Care Doctor on How to Not Fear Death and Live Life "Buoyantly" with Dr. Alex Gamble

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Episode one of our series on Death + Dying. Existential Maturity is on the table today! In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Alex Gamble, a palliative care doctor and clinical assistant at Stanford University. Dr. Gamble graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine in 2010, completed his residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in 2015, and pursued his fellowship at the University of Kansas in 2016. He specializes in improving the quality of life for patients nearing the end of life, drawing from his deep expertise in palliative care.

Dr. Gamble sits down with Ashley to discuss his experiences as a palliative care physician and the profound lessons his patients have taught him about life, death, grief, and emotional maturity. Their conversation explores the philosophical aspects of death anxiety and dives into the diverse emotional landscapes of his patients.

Death Anxiety is a fundamental aspect of the human experience, influencing many of the choices we make in an effort to mitigate our fears surrounding mortality. With this episode, and the series as a whole, we aim to foster open dialogue about this often uncomfortable topic. We believe that through tough conversations, we can find inner peace. No subject is off-limits in our pursuit of meaningful connection.
You can learn more about Dr. Gamble and his practice at North Kansas City Hospital's page as well as on Stanford University's academic staff page.

Links to resources mentioned by Ashley and Dr. Gamble in today’s episode:
‘‘And Yet It Was a Blessing’’: The Case for Existential Maturity - special report by Linda L. Emanuel, MD, PhD, Neha Reddy, BA, Joshua Hauser, MD, and Sarah B. Sonnenfeld.
Plato's Allegory of the Cave
The Death Cafe Movement
The Death Positive Movement
A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death - by B.J Miller, MD and Shoshana Berger
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