What is Medical Gaslighting? Medical gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a healthcare professional dismisses or trivializes a patient's symptoms, concerns, or experiences, leading the patient to doubt their own perception of their health. This can occur when doctors attribute symptoms to anxiety, stress, or mental health issues without thoroughly investigating potential underlying medical conditions. Patients experiencing medical gaslighting may feel invalidated, misunderstood, and reluctant to seek further medical care. This can result in delayed diagnoses, inadequate treatment, and prolonged suffering. It is essential for healthcare providers to listen attentively, validate patient concerns, and provide comprehensive care to avoid this harmful practice. So many of my clients have experienced this, as well as myself. I would venture to say that the majority of my female clients have suffered because of incompetent and narcissistic doctors. When I was trying to find a proper diagnoses back in the early 90's for bizarre symptoms, I went to about 50 different doctors. Talk about medical gaslighting!! I knew there was something wrong with me, but the male chauvanism and incompetence was astounding. Eventually I found a savvy doctor who thought to test me for Epstein-Barr Virus and bingo. In addition, an astute chiropractor found a carotid bruit and goiter which put me in danger of a stroke. I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease and so all of the pieces of the puzzle were coming together as to WHY I was so sick. That many doctors couldn't get it right?? Astounding. I kept hearing over and over again, "There's nothing wrong with you." Really?? One endocrinologist told me that he only wanted to hear my top 5 symptoms and nothing else. Others tried to make an appointment with a shrink. I am so glad that I am a woman who stands her ground and fights for truth. We all need to be so determined. A particularly bad situation occured in the summer of 2020, after I had a terrible bout with covid and long hauling aftermath. Still recovering from that, I was exposed to some nasty farm chemical spraying when I was out on the property and didn't have time to escape. (I live on a farm and surrounded by other farms, farms, farms..... and continual spraying all summer long.) By the next morning I could not walk. I had hives and was vomiting and having up to 10 seizures a day. My body was jerking and twisting from neurological side effects. My skin was numb. My head was numb. It was an awful time. I had been through it with farm chemicals before... for decades... but nothing quite like this where I was totally incapacitated. After a few weeks I was a tiny bit better, but I wanted to get checked out at a local hospital ER. The doctor is one I had seen the year before when I had had severe intestinal issues and bouts with sustained V-tach, and he attributed that to "anxiety," later refuted by another doctor. This time he walked in, remembered me from before, and gave me a blanket diagnoses of ANXIETY. He stood there, arms and legs crossed with a narcissistic smirk on his face, leaning up against the cabinet desk, and yelled at me, telling me not to argue with him. He said that he shares his cases with his son who is a shrink in another state, and his son says most illnesses are in our heads. How convenient. Did the hospital board of directors know that he was sharing case information with his son and his wife?? Hmmm. A few days later, I went to Indianapolis and received a proper diagnosis and help. Diagnosis? Poisoning from farm chemicals. Not anxiety, and of course I knew exactly what it was. Thankful to this wonderful doctor who was able to help me detox from the onslaught of chemicals! I reported the ER doctor to the medical board. I gave him a negative review on the hospital's review page. And then the fun began. He called me AT HOME and screamed and yelled at me on the phone, defending his outlandish diagnoses. Blasted my Christian faith. What should have stopped right then and there has continued for 4 years....stalking my social media and leaving negative comments. His wife left negative comments on our business, which she never visited. Tried to interfere with the sale of our building in town and the realtor had to block him from their messages. He has created aliases to infiltrate my pages. I heard from him again last night, trying to discredit me, my education, and my work. I can't even remember how many times he has stalked me on social media... What a sad, menace of a doctor, if you can call him a doctor. People like this have a huge black hole in their soul and need God. Apparently he is retired now and has cancer and heart disease. Do you think it's all in his head??? Maybe I should give him the same diagnosis he gave me? Maybe he should consult his son, the shrink? He told me that he regretted telling me about sharing his cases with his son. He knows deep down that it was wrong to share patient information. My point here on this post... STAND UP FOR YOURSELF! You know if there is something wrong with you and keep searching until you find someone with compassion and true knowledge who can help you. I have had clients with lyme disease, lupus, MS, and many strange illnesses with bizarre symptoms and the lack of true help for these women has been heartbreaking. I encourage them to seek out medical help that will get to the roots of the issues and I help them on the nutrition side of things. The medical system is broken. It is completely funded by big pharma. The doctors learn nothing in medical school but pill pushing. And we have all heard on TV the myriad of side effects that come with EVERY pill that they push. These drugs only mask symptoms and are rarely a cure. Some events do require emergency medicine and I have had a few of these in my life, including an emergency c-section, and also a heart issue with a bout of covid early in 2023. I was in the critical care unit of ICU for 24 hours. God stepped in and completely healed me as I was sitting alone on my hospital bed. I prayed and I was well again and dismissed later that day. Thank you, Jesus... But for most health issues, doctors have no clue how to handle them other than big pharma. Find a good nutritional functional medicine doctor who actually knows how to get to the ROOT of the issues. There are more and more of these caring doctors out there today, thank God. One of these doctors actually sat and prayed with us and then sat down at his computer and waited for the Lord to instruct him. He got the download and created a treatment plan which worked brilliantly. I am not surprised. Start with your nutrition. I help my clients to learn how to eat the right foods, in the right portions, with the right macros, and a side effect of this is always GOOD HEALTH. Exercise if you can! One man I know came to me with terrible sciatic pain and was doctoring to no avail. He even started seeing an acupuncturist (I don't believe in acupuncture...) and that guy was bleeding him dry of $$$$. I am a personal trainer and I gave him some exercises to do and he was able to function and walk again. Crises averted. Find a functional medicine doctor who has good reviews and knows how to root out the causes for your issues. Concluding thoughts... Women, and men, stand up strong against mistreatment by doctors, demanding the respect and comprehensive care you deserve. Challenge dismissive attitudes and advocate for thorough investigations into your health concerns. Seek out second opinions, and use your voice to call for systemic change within the healthcare system. By doing so, you are not only fighting for your own well-being but also paving the way for future generations to receive better, more empathetic medical care. Your resilience and determination serve as a powerful reminder that every patient deserves to be heard, validated, and treated with the utmost respect and care. To learn about the financial relationships that doctors and other healthcare providers have with drug and medical device companies, see the link below... https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/ Kim @ Wellness For Life, Inc.
Nutritionist/Nutrition Coach
Elite Personal Trainer
Senior Fitness Specialist
Keto Specialist Hormone Specialist
This is Vital information ! Great article !