May 18, 2022
Health
MEDICAL GASLIGHTING: What it looks like & how to respond to it
Medical gaslighting is when patients, especially women, are left feeling dismissed or ignored after a doctors appointment. It can cause them to minimise or ignore what may be very real, painful & even dangerous symptoms. They are then left feeling that they’re just imagining the symptoms & it’s just psychological. This can be traumatic as it’s a form emotional abuse, especially when you’re made to feel it’s ‘all in your head’.
Some doctors or medical professionals may be reluctant to investigate (or further investigate) into health issues, for example, refuse to book you in for scans/tests, assuming diagnosis based solely on age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, weight etc & they may blame symptoms on mental health without any real evidence to confirm this.
Some doctors or medical professionals may be reluctant to investigate (or further investigate) into health issues, for example, refuse to book you in for scans/tests, assuming diagnosis based solely on age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, weight etc & they may blame symptoms on mental health without any real evidence to confirm this.
Here are some things my previous doctors/consultants have told me (knowing my full medical history):
”This type of pain is normal, just take some painkillers” – in response to new pain.
”You don’t need additional blood tests, nothing new will show up”
”It’s definitely not that, you’re too young”
”Your blood test is normal, nothing’s wrong” – even though I feel really ill.
”It’s normal for people from a South Asian background to have these health issues” – Excuse me, what?!
”Just eat healthier & you’ll be fine”
Have you ever been a victim of medical gaslighting? Or worse, found out something was actually wrong after your doctor told you everything’s fine?
Believe it or not, medical gaslighting is so common and for years, I never questioned it because doctors know best, right? And you trust them. You should be able to trust your doctor but if you feel you are being ignored then you must be stern and demand answers. At the end of the day, it is your health in question and that is the most important thing.
Last year, I attended The Rare Fair event for the rare disease community, which takes place once a year. I was asked to be a patient keynote speaker and was on the mental health panel and the diversity panel where I spoke about the inequities of care and recognising and bridging gaps. It was highlighted by another panel member that women are more likely to experience medical gaslighting than men. I did some more research later on in my own time, as I have been a victim of this quite a few times.
Last year, I attended The Rare Fair event for the rare disease community, which takes place once a year. I was asked to be a patient keynote speaker and was on the mental health panel and the diversity panel where I spoke about the inequities of care and recognising and bridging gaps. It was highlighted by another panel member that women are more likely to experience medical gaslighting than men. I did some more research later on in my own time, as I have been a victim of this quite a few times. Here’s is an interesting read (Source: https://www.hamptonking.com/blog/are-you-a-victim-of-medical-gaslighting/ )
Medical Gaslighting & Women – The Statistics
While medical gaslighting can be a problem for anyone, regardless of sex, women seem to bear the brunt of it. Here are the stats.
- Women who went to the ER with severe stomach discomfort had to wait much longer than men. They waited 33 percent longer than males with the same symptoms. This is according to research published in Academic Emergency Medicine. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1553-2712.2008.00100.x
- Women are also two to three times more likely than males to get RA. They’re four times more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome. And they’re three times more likely to develop autoimmune diseases. These diseases are typically accompanied by excruciating pain.
- There are two main issues with subjective symptoms. They don’t appear on lab tests, and many doctors have a bias towards women. This is where medical gaslighting comes in.
This sheds some additional insight into why women seem to experience medical gaslighting more than men:
Medical research frequently uses male volunteers and ignores issues that predominantly affect women. Five times as many studies have been dedicated to erectile dysfunction, over PMS symptoms. Over 90 percent of women report at least one PMS symptom. And erectile dysfunction? It only affects 19 percent of males. (This is according to ResearchGate research)
HOW TO RESPOND TO MEDICAL GASLIGHTING?
- MAKE SURE YOU GO PREPARED – Take a prioritised list of concerns and any supporting test results or a log of your symptoms. Do your research (from reputable sources), like certain tests that can be done and treatment options and take it with you to your appointment.
- TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU – Research suggests taking a male friend or family member with you, someone who can vouch for your symptoms can have a positive impact on the outcome of the appointment.
- DON’T LET THEM INTERUPT – I’ve had this happen to me before; I was half way explaining my symptoms and the doctor interrupted and said “highly unlikely, you’re far too young”. Immediately, I responded with ‘oh, ok…’ and that was that. If your doctor interrupts you while you’re explaining what you’re feeling, respectfully tell them you haven’t finished talking. If you feel like you’re being ignored or dismissed, tell them.
- ASK THEM WHY – If your doctor refuses to refer you or book you in for tests/scans ask them to explain why, ask them what else could be causing the symptoms and push to investigate or further investigate to rule out other possible illnesses.
- SCHEDULE A FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT – Doctors appointments are really short and I totally understand and respect that as they have a lot of patients to see. So, in that short time slot, if there is no outcome and you don’t have any answers, make sure you book another appointment.
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