Medical Gaslighting — When Doctors Dismiss, and You Doubt Yourself

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What if the problem isn’t in your head… but in the exam room?

In this episode of Think First, Jim Detjen unpacks the unsettling world of medical gaslighting — where legitimate symptoms are brushed off, patients are labeled “anxious,” and trust quietly erodes. From women’s health to racial disparities and rushed 11-second diagnoses, we ask:

Are you being treated… or just managed?

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Stay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslight
Read and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Have you ever left a doctor's office feeling worse?
Not because you got bad news,but because you got no news at
all no answers, no plan, justthat quiet, creeping suspicion
that maybe your symptoms arejust in your head.
I'm Jim Detchen and this isThink First, where we break down
the gaslighting and poetictruths shaping today's

(00:27):
narratives.
And today we're examining thesterile, smiling face of a
particular kind of manipulationmedical gaslighting.
Because when your doctor makesyou question your body instead
of treating it, that's not justa bad experience, that's a red
flag with a clipboard.
That's not just a badexperience, that's a red flag
with a clipboard.
Have you ever been told it'sprobably just stress, while your

(00:49):
body's waving a red flag likeit's on fire?
Have you downplayed yoursymptoms just to avoid being
brushed off?
Have you ever wondered if yourhealth issue was less urgent
than your tone describing it,and how much harm is done not
from the illness itself, butfrom not being believed in the
first place?

(01:09):
Let's be clear this isn't justa bad bedside manner issue.
Medical gaslighting is whenauthority replaces accuracy and
the system practically begs forit.
Doctors interrupt patientsafter 11 seconds on average,
eleven Barely enough time to sayI've been feeling.
Doctor interrupts Sounds likeanxiety.
Here's a handout.

(01:29):
Next, when your symptoms don'tfit the script, you get two
options.
One, be the difficult patient.
Two, or start wondering ifmaybe it is just in your head.
Let's talk about chronic painin women, because for decades
it's just.
Hormones was the medicalequivalent of I don't know and I

(01:50):
don't feel like finding outEndometriosis, fibromyalgia,
debilitating cramps, cue thegreatest hits.
You're just sensitive.
Try a heating pad.
Have you considered wine and abubble bath?
It's almost funny if you ignorethe years of misdiagnoses and

(02:11):
unnecessary suffering which,coincidentally, the system is
pretty good at.
And the disparities don't endthere.
Black patients are less likelyto be given pain meds for the
same symptoms.
Apparently, pain tolerancescales are color-coded.
Now the gaslight here isn'tsubtle, it's systemic and it
burns.

(02:31):
Now throw mental health intothe mix.
If you've got anxiety,depression or even just a vague
note in your chart, everysymptom becomes suspect Chest
pain, stress, dizziness, stress,internal bleeding.
Let's monitor your stress.
Once you're labeled, your bodybasically loses the right to

(02:53):
complain.
It's like your medical chart isbeing ghostwritten by WebMD and
your least supportive ex.
Remember the phrase trust yourgut?
Yeah, try saying that to adoctor while describing gut pain
.
They'll probably suggestprobiotics and mindfulness.

(03:18):
Now, not every headache is abrain tumor, but not every
invisible illness is a figmentof your imagination either.
Sometimes the issue isn't thatyou're overreacting, it's that
they're under-listening.
It's not your imaginationthat's the problem, it's your
doctor's lack of it.
So here's the question to holdon to Are you being treated or

(03:39):
managed, respected or rerouted?
The smartest people aren'talways the loudest.
They're the ones asking theinconvenient questions, and when
it comes to your health, thefirst one should always be am I
being heard or just humored?
And look, not that I've foundany double-blind, peer-reviewed
studies on this, but I'm 99%sure doctor's offices play a

(04:01):
secret game called how long canwe leave them in the room before
they start questioning theirentire existence Spoiler?
You win nothing for waiting,but you do get a $40 bill for
consultation.
If this episode hits close tohome, don't ignore it.
Sometimes the clearest answeris a second opinion, or even a

(04:22):
third.
You know your body and ifsomeone's trying to convince you
otherwise, that might be yourcue to walk out and think first.
And if today made you thinkdifferently, tap that five-star
rating on Apple.
It helps us reach others who'vebeen told to sit down, be quiet
and stop asking questions.

(04:44):
See you next time and rememberyou don't need all the answers,
but you should question the onesyou're handed.
Thank you.