Medical Gaslighting: What It Is, Why It’s So Dangerous, and What You Can Do to Advocate for Yourself

In recent years, the term "medical gaslighting" has come to represent the phenomenon and disproportionate impact of medical dismissal of women and other marginalized groups. All too often, women leave the doctor’s office questioning themselves and their symptoms and are too often pressed into silently endure their suffering, sometimes until it's tragically too late.

How can we identify when medical gaslighting is happening and protect ourselves or those we love?

Join me on today's episode of On Health as I explore the roots of medical gaslighting, how to recognize it, the power of self-advocacy, and the critical need for systemic reform.

 

Tune in as I get into:

• Where the term gaslighting actually comes from
• How gaslighting shows up in women's healthcare, and who is at greatest risk
• The dangerous and potentially life-threatening consequences of medical gaslighting
• The problem with the word "hysterical"—and how it was a medical diagnosis until the 1980s!
• How to reduce your risk of having your medical symptoms dismissed as psychological
• My personal experience with medical dismissal—and why nobody is immune from it
• 7 signs that could indicate that you’re experiencing medical gaslighting
• How to be an advocate for yourself and avoid being medically gaslit
• The urgent need for systemic change and what we need to do as a society to ensure that this happens

My hope is that you walk away from this episode with greater awareness of the very real issues with gaslighting in medical care and greater confidence in speaking up for yourself and your ability to demand the respect you deserve when it comes to your healthcare.

Thank you so much for taking the time to tune in to your body, yourself, and this podcast! Please share the love by sending this to someone in your life who could benefit from the kinds of things we talk about in this space. Make sure to follow your host on Instagram @dr.avivaromm and go to avivaromm.com to join the conversation.

 

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