Feeling Dismissed by Your Doctor? It May Be Medical Gaslighting

Have you ever visited a doctor hoping for answers only to feel like your concerns were not taken seriously? If so, you’re not alone. A growing body of research suggests patients frequently experience this phenomenon, known as medical gaslighting.

“Medical gaslighting is when a doctor dismisses symptoms or doesn’t validate a patient’s experience or description of symptoms,” said Dr. Diane Lacaille, Arthritis Research Canada’s Scientific Director. “Medicine doesn’t have all the answers and gaslighting tends to occur when physicians don’t understand why a person has certain symptoms or when the symptoms don’t follow the pattern of a known diagnosis.”

Dr. Lacaille emphasized that medical gaslighting, unlike regular gaslighting, is usually not intentional. Yet, it still is a problem with serious consequences for patients. It also erodes trust between patients and physicians.

Dangers of a Delayed Diagnosis

Eileen Davidson understands this experience well. She lives with rheumatoid arthritis, a serious autoimmune disease whereby the body’s immune system attacks healthy joint tissue. However, she endured six years of unexplained pain, fatigue and inflammation before receiving a diagnosis.

“I’d leave medical appointments feeling small, confused, and angry at myself,” Davidson said. “I was scared because I knew something was wrong, yet I was repeatedly told that everything looked ‘normal.’”

Davidson’s symptoms started at 23 and continued to worsen after the birth of her son at 27. Yet, when she voiced concerns, doctors blamed her mental health or suggested she exercise and lose weight.

“Instead of early detection that could have made my life significantly easier, I received advice that left a lasting, negative impact,” she said. “I began to blame myself, question my reality, and wonder if I was losing my mind.”

At 29, Davidson asked her doctor for a referral to a rheumatologist, as well as a rheumatoid factor test, which checks for antibodies that can attack healthy tissue. It came back positive and she finally had an answer, but was struggling to care for her son and could no longer work as an esthetician due to pain and relentless fatigue. The damage was done.

Clear Communication to Counter Gaslighting

According to Dr. Lacaille, medical gaslighting can occur in rheumatology because “diagnoses are not always clear, and diseases don’t always manifest as they are described in medical textbooks.”

She added that there is no definite diagnostic test for most types of arthritis and symptoms may need to evolve over time until a diagnosis becomes clear. It is the physician’s job to rule out serious conditions and “do no harm.” Doctors need to listen to patients and take them seriously, while also avoiding tests, procedures and medications that come with risks when they do not know with 100% certainty that someone has a disease.

Dr. Lacaille emphasized that not being able to explain symptoms doesn’t mean they aren’t real. She believes preventing medical gaslighting comes down to communication and trust.

“It’s important that we listen with empathy and an open mind so patients feel they have been heard and taken seriously,” she said. “If physicians are dismissive, then patients are not reassured and continue to worry that something is being missed; and trying to fit people into boxes, they can miss rare presentations of diseases.”

Doctors need to be comfortable saying, “I don’t know,” while explaining that they have ruled out serious possibilities and there is now a need to “wait and see” how symptoms evolve.

“If these steps are not communicated clearly, patients can feel dismissed and gaslighting can occur,” Dr. Lacaille said.

Patient Advocacy: Painting Your Perspective

Davidson wants others to understand that the impact of medical gaslighting runs deep. It can result in delayed diagnoses, physical progression of diseases, serious complications, irreversible damage, emotional harm and an erosion of trust in the medical system.

“If you’re navigating medical gaslighting, please know that your symptoms are real,” she said. “You need to advocate for yourself. It should not take six years to be heard.”

Davidson has spent the past eight years sharing her journey and advocating for people living with arthritis. She offers the following tips for people who are currently experiencing medical gaslighting:

• Assert Your Voice: Be clear, direct, and firm. Ask for specific tests. Request a second opinion if your questions are not being answered. Don’t be afraid to name what you suspect.
• Bring Evidence: Whether you’re navigating a new diagnosis or pushing for better care, showing up informed and organized can shift the conversation. Bring test results, medical records, and symptom logs to appointments.
• Trust Your Gut: You have the right to be heard, to advocate for yourself, and to seek care that meets your needs. If something feels off, it probably is.
• Know Your Condition: Understanding how arthritis and other chronic illnesses work equips you to push for appropriate testing and treatment.

Gaslighting Awareness in the Medical Community

Listening with an open mind is emphasized in medical school, according to Dr. Lacaille. However, time constraints can lead physicians to dismiss patient concerns in the real world.

“Appointments are short and people are waiting. When patients have multiple, unexplained symptoms, it takes time,” Dr. Lacaille said. “Physicians may not have the emotional availability to listen in a way that makes patients feel heard – especially when they are rushed, stressed and behind schedule.”

This is how gaslighting occurs in arthritis care. And while the topic is now included in rheumatology conferences around the world, Dr. Lacaille believes a lot more needs to be done to raise awareness.

“Gaslighting should be discussed at all levels of medical education,” she said.