Stop the Silence: Breaking Down the Culture of Gaslighting in Medicine
Have you ever felt dismissed by a healthcare provider when expressing concern about your health? Gaslighting isn't just limited to personal relationships - it can also occur in medical settings. Increasingly, individuals are sharing their stories of being 'medical gaslighted' by healthcare providers – which involves having legitimate concerns dismissed and leading to missed diagnoses or improper treatment. Despite who you are, no one should have to go through this kind of experience when seeking professional care.
What is Medical Gaslighting?
The term "gaslighting" originated from the movie “Gaslight” and refers to dismissing someone's words, making them doubt themselves. The term "medical gaslighting" describes a healthcare professional that refuses or fails to take into account what their patients are saying about their health issues – potentially leading to delayed treatment that can further endanger one’s well-being!
Medical gaslighting is not always intentional, however. It can be unconscious bias stemming from preconceived notions of certain races, genders, and social groups; an annoyed practitioner due to us coming in with our "google medical degree" with the list of symptoms for thumb cancer; they may not be good listeners; not up to date or in agreement with modern medical findings; a prescription pusher; or simply having a bad day. So many things can play into medical gaslighting which can lead to misdiagnosing.
This subtle form of treatment forces us to doubt our own symptoms while leaving us feeling unheard and unsupported. This can lead to disruption in daily life activities if our health issues are left unaddressed. We must stand up for ourselves and demand the care we deserve!
Who is more likely to deal with medical gaslighting?
While it can happen to anyone, certain groups may be more likely to experience it. This includes:
Women
People of color
Those living with chronic illnesses
Serena Williams' story is a shocking reminder of the disparities in maternal healthcare; her insistence that she needed critical care saved her life when she was told by a nurse “I think all this medicine is making you talk crazy.” This issue has unfortunately become all too common. According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women - many due to preventable causes.
The term may be relatively new, but the reality is that women have long been subjected to gender bias in medicine. From being told their medical issues are only premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or mental health problems to spending longer times waiting for treatment and having conditions such as endometriosis undiagnosed. And although 'female hysteria' is no longer a popular diagnosis, there continues to be a gap in healthcare education relating to female patients' symptoms -- resulting in us not being properly treated.
How do you know it's happening to you?
It can be difficult to recognize medical gaslighting when it's happening. Healthcare professionals may dismiss your symptoms as normal or attribute them to stress, but if this doesn't feel right to you, here are a few signs of possible medical gaslighting:
Having your concerns disregarded without reason
Not listening nor conducting testing, yet insisting you have one issue to push medication when you are certain it's not that issue
If you feel the need to argue in order to be heard
What to do?
If you think your healthcare provider isn't taking your concerns seriously, it's time to take matters into your own hands.
A great first step is keeping a record of symptoms in a journal - that way when you go for an appointment, you're armed with concrete evidence.
Additionally, make sure to prepare questions ahead—this will help direct conversations and ensure all key points are discussed!
If in the hospital, get a Patient Advocate - they are there to listen and provide support while acting as the mediator between yourself and your healthcare provider. Many hospitals have staff patient advocates in-house but if not, try using local resources.
Consider getting another perspective from a different health professional or try using a functional medicine or holistic doctor.
Functional or Holistic Medicine
If you deal with chronic medical issues, especially those that haven't been addressed, functional medicine may be the way to go...
Functional medicine goes beyond traditional approaches, taking into account a wider range of factors that may contribute to health. A functional medicine doctor looks for the root cause or whole person by considering many factors—an approach often more effective than conventional practices alone being that conventional medicine usually focuses on symptoms.
Training in this field varies, with practitioners ranging from highly trained medical doctors to chiropractors and naturopath doctors all specializing in unique ways for healing.
Functional Medicine doctors consider various factors conventional doctors may not have thought of. With their expertise in diagnosing root causes rather than mere symptom relief, they could help bring about positive changes in your life and wellbeing!
Let us know in the comments below if you ever experience medical gas lighting and how you handled it.
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The author.
Joelle Lynn is an entrepreneur, herbalist, esthetician, master-formulator of all things natural, and the founder of Happy Girl Products.