Here's What 'Medical Gaslighting' Means—and How to Know If You're a Victim Of It
When we hear the term “gaslighting” the first thing that comes to mind is gaslighting in relationships. It’s a form of manipulation that makes the other person doubt their opinion and perception. To gain power and control, a gaslighter flips the script so you believe you did something wrong. In some cases, gaslighting can be subtle, which is why it’s important to know what to look for.
Toxic relationships aside, gaslighting can also occur at work and even between doctors and patients. This is also known as medical gaslighting. Here’s everything you need to know and how to get help.
What Does Medical Gaslighting Mean?
Medical gaslighting, a phenomenon now receiving widespread attention, occurs when a healthcare team, (doctor, nurse, EMT, etc. ) dismisses the complaints or concerns of a patient.
Medical gaslighting has been brought to the forefront as more women, who are often the victims of medical gaslighting, are speaking up and sharing their stories of the adverse consequences of medical gaslighting, says Dr. Jennifer Mieres, a professor of cardiology and associate dean of faculty affairs at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and co-author of Heart Smarter for Women: Six Weeks to a Healthier Heart, states. These include delay in diagnosis, misdiagnosis and prolonged periods of unnecessary suffering.
Women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community are more likely to have their complaints and symptoms ignored or not taken seriously, thereby experiencing and being impacted by medical gaslighting.
Examples of Medical Gaslighting
There are many conditions and stages of life at which women’s health issues are likely to be misdiagnosed or dismissed by doctors as something that’s less critical.
One such example is in the diagnosis of heart disease. Gaslighting may be challenging to detect as it can involve a mixture of conscious and unconscious components, Dr. Mieres explains.
For example, an EMT or tirage nurse in the emergency room may not be deliberately telling a middle-aged woman who comes to the ER or calls 911 with complaints of chest pain that it’s all in her head. But he or she may notice that the woman is very anxious, and subconsciously make the assumption that the woman’s symptoms are due to anxiety and can miss the early stages of a treatable heart attack.
Dr. Nicole Cain, NMD, MA, offered another example of medical gaslighting that a patient recently shared with her:
She is a victim of severe complex trauma and suffers from symptoms such as involuntary shaking, panic, screaming “voices” in her mind and insomnia. Her doctor prescribed a benzodiazepine called Xanax—a medication commonly prescribed to calm the nervous system during acute activation—and 48 hours later she developed swelling in her knuckles. She immediately called her doctor, who responded by saying: “In forty years of practice I have never seen or heard of this, I’m sure it’s your anxiety playing tricks on you.”
Her doctor’s response is problematic for many reasons: The first is swelling of the hands is a commonly reported side effect of Xanax and could be an indicator that the medication is inappropriate for the patient. The second is that this is classic medical gaslighting, which is the experience of having one’s concerns dismissed by a medical provider.
How to Know If You're Experiencing Medical Gaslighting
Gaslighting can be nuanced and can be shrouded in medical narrative. Dr. Mieres provides a few signs of medical gaslighting. They include:
Your doctor or other members of the medical team is not listening to your complaints, frequently interrupt you, and are not giving you the opportunity to fully describe your complaints and medical history.
Your symptoms or complaints are brushed off or minimized and you begin to doubt yourself and feel intimidated by the line of questioning from your doctor or members of the medical team. An example questioning whether your chest pain/pressure is real or related to anxiety.
Your doctor refuses to discuss your symptoms and link them to a diagnosis.
You feel disrespected by your doctor/ medical team and feel that your doctor is rude, not listening, and condescending.
Related: Speak Up: How to Get the Best Care From Your Doctor
What to Do If You Think You're a Victim of Medical Gaslighting
“Every woman and every patient needs to realize that their relationship with their doctor should be based on partnership, not paternalism,” says Dr. Mieres. “Everyone deserves to be listened to and feel like your doctor really cares about you.”
If you bring up a concern and you feel like your doctor is being dismissive, push back.
Dr. Mieres recommends asking for a time out: “I think it’s time that we both hit the pause button so we can talk and figure out what is going on with me and find out what is causing my symptoms.”
Furthermore, partnership with your doctor is extremely important. Here are some things to remember:
It’s up to the doctor and patient to put the pieces of the puzzle together to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan together. If that doesn’t happen, then you need to find another doctor.
All patients deserve to have their health complaints and concerns taken seriously.
The history of symptoms as told by the patient is critical to arriving at a diagnosis. The patient and doctor need that partnership and need to collaborate to figure out the cause of symptoms and use the components of shared decision-making for a treatment plan that is realistic and sustainable.
Always prepare for your doctor's visit and spend some time recording your symptoms, and medical history before your visit. Consider taking a friend with you who can be your advocate.
Dr. Cain says these are the four things she tells all her patients to help avoid medical gaslighting:
Keep detailed notes of your visits. Documentation is key.
Request copies of your records and ensure your doctor is properly documenting your visits. Especially make note of diagnoses and assessments in your chart. Remember under HIPAA you have the right to have your medical chart notes corrected.
Bring an ally: Having someone you trust to accompany you to visits can help provide an additional ear to what your doctor is saying, and can help advocate for you when a need arises.
Remember that you have the right to change doctors. It can be challenging to identify gaslighting, and for some, even more so, to leave that abusive situation. But you have a right to a doctor who hears you, respects you and honors you. If you’re being gaslighted, it’s time to change doctors.
Sources
Dr. Jennifer Mieres, a professor of cardiology and associate dean of faculty affairs at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and co-author of Heart Smarter for Women: Six Weeks to a Healthier Heart
Dr. Nicole Cain, naturopathic doctor, NMD, MA
RxList: “Xanax Side Effects Center”
