Find out why Dr. Charles is taking a little breather from his Gaffney duties on Season 11 of Chicago Med.

While there’s little time to rest when at the helm of Gaffney’s Psychiatry Department on Chicago Med, the beloved Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) has revealed he’ll be taking some time away from his post in upcoming Season 11 episodes.

ICYMI: Charles recently confessed to feeling tempted to retire following a harrowing day at Gaffney. After experiencing the first panic attack he’d suffered since medical school (accompanied by a mystifying nose bleed) Charles tearfully confessed to his therapist that he was scared about what was potentially wrong with him.

Those anxieties only continued to pick up momentum in Season 11’s “Blindsided” when he teamed up with Gaffney newcomer Dr. Theo Rabari (Manish Dayal) to treat a patient who was misdiagnosed for years. Little details of the case sat poorly with Dr. Charles, and as his nosebleeds continued, the Gaffney mentor struggled to keep his concerns bottled up any longer.

After weeks of running away from his own problems, Dr. Charles was forced to address his ongoing medical concerns during Med‘s January 12 episode. Here’s what happened and why Chihards can expect a little Dr. Charles vacation in the future.

Dr. Charles warned Dr. Goodwin that he’s taking a leave of absence

Some psych cases hit closer to home than others.

After helping treat a patient who’d been medically misled for much longer than necessary, Dr. Charles confronted his continued denial over his own anxiety and depression. After helping the patient and bidding Dr. Theo Rabari good night, Dr. Charles visited his good buddy Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) to check in on her after the funeral of her ex-husband, Bert Goodwin.

After giving Dr. Charles the updates, Sharon was eager to know how Dr. Charles was doing, soon learning it wasn’t good.

“I think I might need to take a couple weeks off,” Dr. Charles confessed, giving Sharon brief cause for alarm.

“What’s going on?” Sharon asked. “Everything OK?”

“I’ve just been having some issues with my antidepressants, you know?” Charles shrugged. “And I gotta titrate down, look for some other options. I’ve been in denial about it, but I just got to do it.”

With that, he seemed resigned to get to the bottom of his very own medical mystery, an idea that Sharon could easily get behind.

When will Dr. Charles return to Gaffney on Chicago Med?

Sharon encouraged her dear friend to take whatever time he needed, a sentiment that he appreciated. While Charles has always excelled at treating patients, addressing his own demons has always proven to be a more burdensome task for the skilled psychiatrist, and this new stage of medication is bound to bring some twists and turns to his horizon.

Med’s latest has many Chihards naturally wondering: When will Dr. Charles be back at Gaffney? While we’re unsure of when Dr. Charles might return to his Gaffney post, Chihards are rooting for a speedy return and Dr. Charles’ success as he prioritizes his own health in coming weeks. Meanwhile, we can rely on the rest of the dedicated Gaffney crew — as well as Dr. Charles’ fresh-faced recruit Dr. Theo Rabari — to hold down the fort during the Med fan favorite’s absence.