Understanding Medical Gaslighting

Medical Gaslighting: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Spot It

Let’s start with this:

If you’ve ever left a doctor’s office feeling worse than when you walked in, not because of your symptoms, but because of how you were treated, you are not alone.

I've been there!

It sucks. You feel like you're going crazy because people don't HEAR you.

That feeling? The one where you start questioning your own experience, wondering if maybe it's all in your head?

That’s often the result of medical gaslighting—and it’s more common than you think.

So, what is medical gaslighting?

Medical gaslighting happens when a healthcare provider dismisses, downplays, or ignores your symptoms, pain, or concerns—often making you feel like you’re overreacting, imagining things, or wasting their time.

It can sound like:

• “Your labs are normal.”

• “You’re too young to be having this issue.”

• “You might just be anxious. Try relaxing.”

• “Try yoga."

Sometimes it’s subtle.

Sometimes it’s blatant.

But either way, it’s damaging and can result in a delay in diagnosis....which is also delaying treatment and relief!

Why does it happen?

There are many reasons medical gaslighting happens, but some of the biggest include:

• Bias in medicine: Women, people of color, neurodivergent, and chronically ill patients are statistically more likely to have their pain or symptoms dismissed.

• Time pressure in appointments: Many providers are overbooked, and it’s easier to assume it’s “nothing” than take the time to investigate.

• Lack of training in nuanced or chronic conditions: If it doesn’t show up on a standard lab, many providers don’t know what to do next—and instead of admitting that, they minimize the patient’s experience.

How does it affect patients?

Medical gaslighting isn’t just frustrating—it’s harmful.

It delays diagnoses.

It creates mistrust in the medical system.

It makes people second-guess their own bodies.

And in many cases, it leads to avoidant behavior: skipping appointments, staying silent, or underreporting symptoms out of fear of being dismissed.

BAD VIBES ALL AROUND, Y'ALL!

How do you spot it—and protect yourself?

Here are a few red flags:

• You leave appointments more confused than when you arrived

• You feel like you have to “perform” your pain to be believed

• You’re told your symptoms are “in your head” without real testing

• You feel like you're being rushed, interrupted, or not listened to

The key is preparation. And boundaries.

This is exactly why I created the Medical Gaslighting Toolkit.

After years of navigating the healthcare system with chronic illness, I knew I needed more than hope and a half-filled symptom tracker.

The toolkit includes:

• How to spot medical gaslighting

• Conversation & Response Templates to use with medical professionals

• Conversation & Response Templates to use with friends and family

  
  

  I built this based on my lived experience, so you don’t have to figure it out alone.