![]() (Read one man’s complicated journey to getting diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a type of IBD.) Meanwhile, some doctors may not think certain populations can get diseases like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Medical gaslighting can happen to anyone, but it’s more likely to occur with those who may not fit the societal norms of “a typical patient” - or who have less access to resources to get a proper diagnosis immediately. Meanwhile, the same study found that people of color with chest pain also waited longer to be seen by a physician than white adults with the same symptoms. They were also less likely than men to be admitted to the hospital or kept under observation. Multiple studies show that women and people of color are especially prone to experience medical gaslighting, per the Yale School of Medicine.Ī 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that women experiencing chest pain wait in emergency rooms nearly 11 minutes longer than men before a health provider sees them. “The stakes are really high, particularly for folks with chronic health conditions.” Who Is Most Likely to Experience Medical Gaslighting? ![]() “Medical gaslighting is the experience of patients feeling like their complaints are dismissed, discounted, or discredited,” says Kim Gorgens, PhD, Clinical Professor and Director of Continuing Education at the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. In the doctor’s office, you may experience medical gaslighting as a doctor not taking your concerns seriously or insinuating that your symptoms are in your head - which of course, can be incredibly discouraging. That said, it’s been around for a long time. He causes the house’s gas lights to dim - but tells his wife that they aren’t dimming and that she can’t rely on her perceptions. The term “gaslighting” was inspired by the title of a 1938 play and the associated movie, in which a man tries to make his wife believe that she is going insane. In a general sense, gaslighting refers to the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for one’s own advantage, per Merriam-Webster. Here, we learn what medical gaslighting is, how to identify it, and ways you can advocate for yourself. ![]() This is especially frustrating when you’re living with an “invisible” illness that may not always manifest symptoms a doctor can see or feel. In this case, it can be dangerous if it prevents you from getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. You may have even experienced a form of it in the doctor’s office. The term “gaslighting” has been buzzworthy on social media in recent years: In fact, Merriam-Webster named it the word of the year in 2022, when it saw a 1,740 percent increase in lookups.
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