BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
Imagine you’re in pain and know something’s wrong, but every doctor you see dismisses it as “nothing serious.” Unfortunately, this scenario is far too prevalent and even has a name: medical gaslighting. It occurs when healthcare workers minimize or disregard your symptoms, frequently due to bias, resulting in delayed diagnosis and prolonged suffering.
Take Bastion as an example. At the age of 21, they endured significant abdominal pain, but doctors continually assured them it was nothing more than a burst cyst or “women’s problems.” After months of anguish and ER trips, a family member intervened and it was only then that Bastion discovered they had a 7.5-centimeter cystic tumor. This delayed diagnosis could have been avoided, but Bastion, like so many others, faced medical gaslighting firsthand.
Medical gaslighting disproportionately impacts women, people of color, gender-nonconforming people, and the elderly. According to Chelsey R. Carter, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor at Yale School of Public Health, “Those who experience the most medical harms are always going to be on the margins.”
What does medical gaslighting look like?
To be frank, diagnosing specific illnesses is not always simple. Symptoms might be vague or common to multiple disorders, and clinicians frequently evaluate the most likely explanations before performing further tests. However, medical gaslighting goes a step further by completely disregarding a patient’s symptoms or attributing them to unrelated causes such as mental health or weight.
As oncologist Neil Iyengar, MD, explains, doctors tend to operate with probability. For example, if a young person reports chest pain, a clinician may not immediately consider lung cancer because it is more common in older individuals. This cautious approach is standard—but when a doctor rejects a patient’s worries or connects them to generic conditions without conducting a thorough inquiry, this is gaslighting.
So what are the red flags? If your doctor regularly interrupts you, dismisses your symptoms as “just stress,” or minimizes your concerns, you may be experiencing medical gaslighting. Other tell-tale indicators include a provider who appears suspicious of your symptoms or who constantly blames them on weight, mental health, or age, despite evidence to the contrary.
Who is most at risk of medical gaslighting?
Particular groups are especially susceptible to medical gaslighting. Often, it happens when a patient does not fit with the expectation of what a person with a given ailment “should” look like. Dr. Carter observes that this is common among Black patients, citing a report that indicated Black people with ALS struggled to convince clinicians they had the disease. Why? Because ALS is commonly regarded as a “white man’s disease,” clinicians may fail to recognize it in persons who do not fit this stereotype.
Younger patients may also experience this. Sarah Elisabeth, now 26, endured years of inexplicable bladder, digestive, and mobility concerns. Doctors diagnosed her symptoms as stress, worry, or “growing pains.” Sarah was eventually diagnosed with tethered spinal cord syndrome in 2022, after suffering numbness and dropping tools at work. This condition had been causing her neurological problems for years.
How to stand up for yourself when gaslighting strikes
While you cannot always control whether or not a doctor takes your symptoms seriously, you can employ techniques to gain control of your healthcare experience.
1. Do your prep work
Before you step into the session, be sure you know exactly what you want to talk about. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, PhD, of Duke University, suggests focusing on your top three symptoms. That way, you may stay focused and brief, allowing your doctor to focus on what is most important.
2. Do not be afraid to switch doctors
If you feel ignored or not taken seriously, it is acceptable to seek a second opinion. Dr. Bentley-Edwards suggests requesting a referral to someone your doctor would recommend to their own family. You deserve a doctor who will listen to and respect your concerns.
3. Trust your gut feeling
According to Dr. Iyengar, if you feel unheard, it’s likely that you are. Your intuition is important; if something feels off or overlooked, it may indicate that you need to argue more strongly or find a doctor who takes you seriously.
4. Bring backup
Getting through appointments while in pain or feeling disregarded can be exhausting. This is where having an advocate, such as a family member, may make a huge impact. They can take notes, ask follow-up questions, and support you when the doctor dismisses your worries.
If you don’t have somebody to accompany you, check with local advocacy groups or patient advocates. Many hospitals offer these services, and organizations such as the Patient Advocate Foundation can assist.
Recovering from gaslighting: the importance of advocacy
Bastion reflects on their own experience with medical gaslighting, recognizing how daunting it was. At 21, they were lucky to have family members who backed them up. “Part of the reason that I feel like I got through this medical gaslighting is because of the people willing to advocate for me,” Bastion tells me. “They were all just like, ‘No, this is out of bounds, this needs to be dealt with.'”
Medical gaslighting is real, and it can have disastrous repercussions if left unchecked. Remember, you know your body best; don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.
