[Interpersonal games as a method for doctors' occupational stress].

Doctors are frequently expose to stress during their occupational work. It is mainly the result of burdens caused by taking care of patients, dysfunctional arrangements of the health care system and difficult relationships in their workplace. Chronic stress brings negative emotions and they need to cope with them . Doctors, willing to achieve it, may initiate interpersonal games with the hidden motive of restoring their internal balance. Based on transactional analysis, the authors describe some of the games which may be found in doctors' environment: "How to get out of there", "Mine is better than yours", "Scapegoat", "Fault" and "double bind". The outcome of the games may be receiving a support, proving a benefit derived from stress, getting the feeling of being not guilty, justification, or releasing emotions in apparently unintended way. Interpersonal games may help stressed doctors to get rid of internal tension but at the same time they may be a source of stress for other participants in the games. The way to limit their destructive impact is to create such administrative and organizational solutions which allow to make working conditions more friendly.