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Medical gaslighting refers to a situation where a patient’s symptoms, concerns, or experiences are dismissed, downplayed, or invalidated by healthcare professionals, leading the patient to doubt their own perception of their health issues.
Gaslighting is a type of psychological manipulation that often occurs between a person of authority, such as a healthcare provider, and a person who relies on their expertise, such as a patient.
In the context of healthcare, medical gaslighting can result in misdiagnoses, delays in treatment, emotional distress, and even life-threatening situations.
Medical gaslighting involves a power imbalance between the healthcare provider and the patient as patients trust the expertise of the healthcare provider and rely on their guidance for diagnosis, treatment, and overall health.
When a healthcare provider dismisses or downplays the patient’s concerns, it can have a significant impact on the patient’s emotional well-being, trust in the medical system, and access to appropriate care.
signs of medical gaslighting
Signs of medical gaslighting can vary, but they generally involve dismissive or invalidating behaviors or language from healthcare providers that make patients doubt their own experiences and concerns.
Here are some common signs of medical gaslighting to look out for:
- Minimizing or downplaying your symptoms (e.g., suggesting that your symptoms are not as serious as you believe)
- Attributing your symptoms to stress, anxiety, or other mental health issues
- Implying you are overly concerned about your health (e.g., being a hypochondriac)
- Dismissing your medical history, existing conditions, or previous diagnoses
- Rushing through appointments and not taking the time to thoroughly discuss your concerns
- Refusing additional tests or denying diagnostic procedures
- Blaming your symptoms on your lifestyle, habits, or choices
- Dismissing your input about your own body and medical history
- Denying there is something wrong without conducting a proper assessment
- Questioning your memory or perceptions (e.g., “Are you sure that is how you feel?” or “Are you sure you are not overthinking it?”)
- Giving inconsistent or conflicting explanations for your symptoms
- Dismissing your concerns due to your gender, race, age, or other demographic factors
Example of medical gaslighting
Medical gaslighting can manifest in a number of ways, but it usually involves a healthcare provider dismissing, downplaying, or invalidating a patient’s concerns, symptoms, or experiences.
A common example of medical gaslighting is when women are told that their symptoms are due to premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Women may experience symptoms that are not solely related to their menstrual cycle but rather indicative of conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and thyroid disorders. When these symptoms are dismissed as “just PMS,” it undermines women’s experiences and can cause significant harm.
Another common example of medical gaslighting is when healthcare providers attribute all health problems to a person’s weight or suggest that losing weight is the solution to everything. This oversimplifies potentially complex health issues and may lead to delayed or inadequate care.
While it is possible that some medical concerns could be due to PMS or weight, the problem arises when healthcare professionals dismiss or invalidate a patient’s concerns without conducting a thorough and respectful evaluation.
Effective healthcare involves a partnership between patients and providers, where patients are heard, respected, and treated as active participants in their own health journey.
Individuals’ recent experiences with Long COVID have highlighted concerns related to medical gaslighting, as reported in a 2022 review. Long COVID refers to a range of symptoms that persist for weeks or months after the acute phase of a COVID-19 infection has resolved. These long-term symptoms include brain fog, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
Before Long COVID was recognized as an official condition, individuals with Long COVID reported facing challenges in getting their symptoms recognized and taken seriously by healthcare providers.
Many of these patients reported feeling unheard and unsupported, and that their ongoing symptoms were downplayed or disregarded. The patients, “blame the experts who hold gatekeeping power over their medical care for producing a distorted version of [their] reality.”
This example highlights the need for increased awareness, education, and empathy among healthcare professionals to provide appropriate support and care for those dealing with the lingering effects of the virus.
Symptoms of Medical Gaslighting
As with other forms of gaslighting, the symptoms of medical gaslighting can be recognized through patients’ interactions with their healthcare providers. It is important to be aware of how you feel when you leave an appointment in order to help determine if you are experiencing medical gaslighting.
If you leave an appointment feeling confused, disappointed, disrespected, invalidated, or unheard, you were likely gaslit. Medical gaslighting can also have more severe, longer-term consequences, including:
- Emotional distress, anxiety, or depression
- Loss of confidence in your ability to accurately describe your symptoms or advocate for your health needs
- Doubting your own perceptions and experiences
- Feeling frustrated towards and resentful of the medical system
- Avoiding all future medical care
- Erosion of trust in healthcare providers
Medical gaslighting can negatively impact patients’ self-esteem as they start to believe that their health concerns are not valid or worthy of attention.
They also might start to doubt their own perceptions and experiences as their concerns continue to be dismissed or downplayed.
What are the consequences of medical gaslighting?
Medical gaslighting can have profoundly negative consequences for patients, affecting their physical health, emotional well-being, and trust in the healthcare system.
Here are some of the consequences associated with medical gaslighting in more detail:
Emotional Distress
Being invalidated or dismissed by healthcare providers can cause significant emotional distress for patients. They may feel unheard, frustrated, anxious, or even depressed due to the lack of support and validation.
Additionally, patients who experience medical gaslighting may start to doubt their own judgments and perceptions of their health. They might even question their ability to accurately assess their symptoms and advocate for their own needs.
Misdiagnosis
If medical professionals downplay a patients’ concerns or attribute all of their symptoms to a single cause, patients might receive incorrect diagnoses. As a result, they may not receive the medical interventions or treatments they need, leading to physical harm and complications.
Delayed Diagnosis
When healthcare providers dismiss or downplay patients’ symptoms, it can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment of underlying medical conditions.
This delay can worsen health outcomes and result in more severe health complications, and even potentially life-threatening situations.
Additionally, experiencing medical gaslighting can erode patients’ trust in the medical system and healthcare providers.
This loss of trust may discourage them from seeking medical care again, which can exacerbate their health issues and lead to increased healthcare costs in the future.
How to respond to medical gaslighting
Recognizing medical gaslighting can empower you to take action. Whether you decide to seek a second opinion, advocate for yourself, or find a healthcare provider who prioritizes your concerns, responding to medical gaslighting requires assertiveness, self-advocacy, and proactivity.
If you feel that your concerns are not being addressed or if you’re being dismissed, trust your instincts. You are the only one who knows your body and your experiences.
Be sure to clearly express your concerns and the symptoms you’re experiencing to your provider.
If you suspect your doctor is gaslighting you, speak up. Stand up for your health needs and demand proper attention. You have the right to be an active participant in your healthcare decisions. Don’t hesitate to share your experiences with your provider or their superiors.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask questions about your symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, or request specific tests if you believe they are necessary.
If you’re not satisfied with the response or treatment plan provided by one healthcare provider, consider seeking a second opinion from a different provider who is more attentive to your concerns. Document your symptoms, conversations with healthcare providers, and any tests or treatments you receive as these records can be helpful if you need to seek a second opinion.
If you’re uncomfortable advocating for yourself alone or are afraid of being gaslit, bring a friend or family member to your appointments. They can help ensure your concerns are heard and act as a meditator.
Remember that your health matters, and you have the right to respectful, compassionate, and effective care. If you are not satisfied, do not hesitate to look for another doctor who will listen attentively and respect your concerns.
Who is most at risk of medical gaslighting and why?
Anyone, regardless of their identity or background, can experience medical gaslighting. However, certain groups of individuals may be more at risk due to societal biases, stereotypes, and disparities in healthcare.
Gaslighting is rooted in social inequalities and executed in relationships with power imbalances.
Groups that may be more vulnerable to medical gaslighting include: women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, individuals with disabilities, overweight or obese individuals, adolescents, the elderly, individuals with mental health conditions, people from a low socioeconomic status, and non-native language speakers.
Sun et al. (2022) found disproportionate usage of negative patient descriptors for Black patients compared with their White counterparts. These patients were commonly labeled as “challenging,” “difficult,” or “resistant,” raising concerns about racial biases and transmission of stigma in their medical records.
In another study, Hoffman et al. (2010) reported that Black patients are systematically under-treated for pain due to a false belief that they experience less pain than White people.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. Dr. Ana Langer, director of the Women and Health Initiative at Harvard, explained “Basically, Black women are undervalued.
They are not monitored as carefully as White women are. When they do present with symptoms, they are often dismissed.”
Historically, women have been more likely to have their health concerns dismissed or attributed to emotional factors. They are often written off as “hormonal,” “irrational,” or “emotional” by medical professionals, and their symptoms are dismissed as being anxiety-related or attention-seeking.
In one study, Nancy et al (2009) found that women with symptoms of coronary heart disease (CHD) were more likely than men to be diagnosed with a mental illness.
According to another study by Esther et al (2008), women who presented to the emergency department with acute abdominal pain were less likely to receive any analgesic treatment and had to wait 33 percent longer to be seen than men with the same symptoms.
Samulowitz et al (2018) also identified gender bias in pain treatment in their literature review.
It is critical to be aware of the potential for these biases and disparities, advocate for your health needs, and seek out healthcare providers who take all concerns seriously.
Can you prevent medical gaslighting?
While you can’t control the actions of others, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of experiencing medical gaslighting.
Here are some strategies to consider:
- Choose your healthcare providers wisely. Do research on providers who are known for their patient-centered approach, open communication, and willingness to listen to patients’ concerns.
- On your first visit, pay attention to how you feel and how you are treated. If something doesn’t feel right with your care, trust your gut. If a provider dismisses your concerns, consider seeking a different provider.
- If you’re concerned about being dismissed, bring a friend or family member to your appointments who can advocate on your behalf if needed.
- Before appointments, make a list of your symptoms, concerns, and questions. This can help ensure that you address all your concerns during the limited time of the appointment.
- Clearly communicate your concerns and symptoms to healthcare providers. Be confident and assertive and insist on thorough evaluations if necessary. They may have the qualifications, but you are an expert on your own experiences.
- Keep records of your appointments, symptoms, and interactions with your healthcare provider. This documentation can be useful for seeking second opinions or filing complaints if needed.
- And lastly, if you encounter severe medical gaslighting that leads to harm, consider reporting the incident to relevant medical organizations or regulatory bodies.
Sources
Au, L., Capotescu, C., Eyal, G. & Finestone, G. (2022). Long covid and medical gaslighting: Dismissal, delayed diagnosis, and deferred treatment. SSM Qualitative Research in Health, 2.
Chen, E.H., Shofer, F.S., Dean, A.J., Hollander, J.E., Baxt, W.G., Robey, J.L., Sease, K.L. & Mills, A.M (2008). Gender disparity in analgesic treatment of emergency department patients with acute abdominal pain. Academic Emergency Medicine, 15(5): 414-8.
David, S.J. (2022). The enormous problem of medical gaslighting. MOJ Addiction Medicine and Therapy, 7 (1).
Lopez-Leon, S., Wegman-Ostrosky, T., Perelman, C., Sepulveda, R., Rebolledo, P.A., Cuapio, A. & Villapol, S. (2021). More than 50 long-term effects of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 11 (1).
Maserejian, N.N., Link, C.L. Lutfey, K.L., Marceau, L.D. & McKinlay, J.B. (2009). Disparities in Physicians’ Interpretations of Heart Disease Symptoms by Patient Gender: Results of a Video Vignette Factorial Experiment. Journal of Women’s Health, 18 (10).
Samulowitz, A., Gremyr, I., Eriksson, E. & Hensing, G. (2018). “Brave Men” and “Emotional Women”: A Theory-Guided Literature Review on Gender Bias in Health Care and Gendered Norms towards Patients with Chronic Pain. Pain Research and Management.
Sun, M., Oliwa, T., Peek, M.E. & Tung, E.L. (2022). Negative Patient Descriptors: Documenting Racial Bias In The Electronic Health Record. Health Affairs, 41 (2).
Trawalter, S., Hoffman, K.M. & Waytz, A. (2016). Correction: Racial Bias in Perceptions of Others’ Pain. PLOS ONE, 11(3).
