Medical Gaslighting: Signs And How To Overcome It

Medical gaslighting occurs when a healthcare provider dismisses or minimizes a patient’s symptoms, causing the patient to question their own judgment and health concerns. This can lead to misdiagnoses, exacerbated symptoms, delayed treatment, and emotional distress.

Whether your doctor realizes they’re doing it or not, it can also leave you feeling distrustful of providers. As a functional medicine practitioner, I’ve heard from countless patients who have experienced passive dismissals or a blatant disregard for chronic symptoms.

To me, trust is essential to the doctor-patient relationship. That’s why it’s so important to understand what to look for in your experience with any clinician so that you can get the care you deserve and take control of your health.

Signs Of Medical Gaslighting

Medical gaslighting examples aren’t always obvious, especially among newer patients, but there are some red flags to watch out for if you’re second-guessing yourself:

They dismissed your symptoms. If a doctor dismisses your symptoms, that’s the number one warning sign. If they chalk up symptoms to stress, anxiety, or your imagination without proper testing, this is a clear signal to make a move somewhere else.
They invalidated your experience. If your practitioner disregards your medical records or trivializes emotional or physical trauma associated with your symptoms, that can lead to misdiagnoses. This can result in psychological trauma from medical gaslighting.
They blamed or shamed you. Some healthcare practitioners may have blamed you for your symptoms by attributing them to your lifestyle choices, mental health issues, or personal habits. This can leave you feeling guilty or ashamed to seek further help.
You feel rushed. Some practitioners may push you to accept a diagnosis without fully explaining it or exploring alternatives, making you feel unsure or confused. This could be due to a lack of active listening or a rush to get to other patients.
They refused further testing or treatment. You might have encountered resistance when requesting further tests, specialist referrals, or alternative treatment options. This can happen when blinders are on to assign specific symptoms to designated medications.
They intimidated you. Patients might feel intimidated or powerless during medical encounters, feeling unable to express their concerns or ask for further clarification about their health issues. You should feel comfortable with your doctor.
They lacked empathy or compassion. If your practitioner is willing to dismiss you, you may feel hopeless and like you’re not worth the effort to find out what’s truly wrong. This can lead to a deep feeling of distrust and being unworthy of health and wellness.

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Prevention Tactics

When a healthcare provider dismisses or downplays your symptoms, or you know you’re dealing with medical gaslighting, it’s essential to advocate for yourself. Here are a few ways to help you navigate the first signs of medical gaslighting:

Trust your instincts. Gut feelings are there for a reason. Trust your intuition; don’t be afraid to put your foot down if something doesn’t feel right. It can be scary at first, but practice with small decisions to build confidence for the big ones.
Educate yourself. You know your body best. Arm yourself with as much information as possible about your symptoms, conditions, medication side effects, lab work, and alternative treatments. Consider exposure to toxins and hormonal changes.
Document your experience. Keep a journal (or tracking app) of your symptoms, appointments, and doctor interactions to reference back to in crucial discussions about your health. Bring questions to appointments and make sure they’re answered.
Bring a patient advocate. Have a trusted friend or family member accompany you to appointments to help support your concerns and witness discussions. They should know enough about your health history to ask follow-up questions and note concerns.
Get a second opinion. This doesn’t mean you’re firing your doctor. It’s well within your patient rights to consult another healthcare provider for a fresh perspective, especially if your concerns aren’t being addressed.

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What can lead to an allegation of patient abandonment?

Patient abandonment is a type of medical malpractice that can occur when a doctor ends the patient-provider relationship without adequate written notice or a proper transition of care. This can leave the patient without necessary medical attention.

To avoid allegations of abandonment and non-compliance, providers have to ensure continuity of care and follow protocols for ending the relationship.

If you’ve been dismissed from a doctor’s office or medical practice, remain professional. Request an explanation for why you were dismissed and document the experience in case legal follow-up is necessary. If it’s a case of patient dismissal of symptoms, follow my tips for moving forward.

Does your physician advocate on your behalf with the insurance company, or do they quickly give up?

A good physician typically advocates for their patients with health insurance companies, ensuring necessary treatments and services are covered to avoid issues of non-payment down the line. They may submit appeals or provide detailed documentation to support claims.

Some physicians may feel overwhelmed by the process and might not pursue advocacy with insurance companies as vigorously, leaving patients to navigate insurance challenges alone. Unfortunately, dealing with insurance often falls on the patients in many scenarios.

Is it proven that women experience medical gaslighting more than men?

Research suggests that women’s symptoms, particularly related to pain and mental health, are often dismissed or attributed to psychological causes. Women’s pain is under-treated compared to men’s despite evidence that women are at higher risk for chronic pain. (6)

Medical gaslighting in women is connected to gender biases in medicine, where women’s symptoms or medical conditions may be perceived as exaggerated or less serious than men’s.

It also comes back to gender gaps in medical research. (7) Women are broadly underrepresented in the medical literature, both on the researcher's and patient's sides. We simply know more about treating men, which causes misogynistic perceptions of conditions and dangerous disadvantages for female patients.

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Sources

Fisher, T., Hill, N., Kalakoutas, A., et al. (2024). Sex differences in treatments and outcomes of patients with cardiogenic shock: a systematic review and epidemiological meta-analysis. Critical Care, 28(1), 192.
Hoffman, K.M., Trawalter, S., Axt, J.R., et al. (2016). Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(16), 4296-4301.
Casanova-Perez, R., Apodaca, C., Bascom, E., et al. (2022). Broken down by bias: Healthcare biases experienced by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ patients. AMIA Annual Symposium, 2021, 275-284.
Peck, J. & Viswanath, O. (2018). A perspective on adolescent chronic pain dismissal. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 48(4), 10-12.
Carnago, L., O'Regan, A., & Hughes, J.M. (2021). Diagnosing and treating chronic pain: are we doing this right? Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 12, 21501327211008055.
Casale, R., Atzeni, F., Bazzichi, L., et al. (2021). Pain in women: a perspective review on a relevant clinical issue that deserves prioritization. Pain and Therapy, 10(1), 287-314.
Merone, L., Tsey, K., Russell, D., et al. (2022). Sex inequalities in medical research: a systematic scoping review of the literature. Women’s Health Reports, 3(1), 49-59.

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BY DR. WILL COLE

Evidence-based reviewed article

Dr. Will Cole, DNM, IFMCP, DC is a leading functional medicine expert who consults people around the globe, starting one of the first functional medicine telehealth centers in the world. Named one of the top 50 functional and integrative doctors in the nation, Dr. Will Cole provides a functional medicine approach for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, and brain problems. He is also the host of the popular The Art of Being Well podcast and the New York Times bestselling author of Intuitive Fasting, Ketotarian, Gut Feelings, and The Inflammation Spectrum.