The Silent Epidemic: How to Spot Medical Gaslighting and Reclaim Your Health
- Amanda Hogan
- May 1
- 3 min read
Have you ever left a doctor’s office feeling smaller than when you walked in? Perhaps you were told your debilitating fatigue was "just stress," your joint pain was "just your age," or your sudden weight gain was simply because you weren't "eating enough salad."
If this sounds familiar, you may have experienced medical gaslighting.
Recently, Dr. Isabelle Amigues, a leading rheumatologist, sat down with Dr. Uzma Khan—a triple-specialist in Psychiatry, Obesity Medicine, and Menopause—to discuss why women’s health concerns are so frequently dismissed and how patients can become the "MVP" of their own medical team.
What is Medical Gaslighting?
In the world of medicine, gaslighting occurs when a healthcare provider trivializes or dismisses a patient’s reported symptoms, often attributing physical ailments to psychological factors or lifestyle "failings."
As a rheumatologist, Dr. Amigues often sees patients who have spent years being told their inflammatory pain is "all in their head." Dr. Khan notes that this is especially prevalent in three historically overlooked areas:
Menopause: Symptoms are often brushed off as "part of aging" with no treatment offered.
Obesity: Pain or metabolic issues are blamed entirely on weight, ignoring the underlying biological drivers.
Psychiatry: Physical symptoms are frequently labeled as "just anxiety," overlooking potential systemic illnesses like autoimmune disorders.
4 Strategies for Better Self-Advocacy
To combat gaslighting, Dr. Khan teaches her medical students and patients four essential pillars of self-advocacy:
1. Be a "Pattern Provider"
Don't just say "I feel off." Be specific. Bring data that connects mood, metabolism, and function.
Example: "I have been unable to lose weight for six months despite a consistent caloric deficit, my sleep is interrupted for four hours every night, and I am experiencing rapid mood swings."
2. Be a Historian, Not a "Google Reciter"
While research is good, doctors respond best to your personal data. Focus on your timelines, triggers, and changes. A reliable history of when symptoms started and what makes them worse is far more valuable to a physician than a list of ten self-diagnoses found online.
3. Challenge the Frame Respectfully
If you feel your symptoms are being minimized, it is okay to ask for more.
Try saying: "I understand my symptoms might appear mild on paper, but they are significantly affecting my daily functioning. Can we expand the diagnostic workup to look deeper?"
4. Know When to Walk Away
If you have tried the above and still feel brushed off, change your provider. Healing requires trust. As Dr. Khan explains, if the "synaptic cleft" of trust is broken, even the best treatments (and the placebo effect) won't work as effectively.
The Intersection of Psychiatry and Weight
A major source of medical shame involves the weight gain associated with psychiatric medications. Dr. Khan emphasizes that for many, this isn't about "willpower."
Many psychotropic drugs cause metabolic shifts that make weight gain nearly inevitable. When doctors tell these patients to "just go to the gym," it creates a cycle of shame that leads to patients stopping their life-saving mental health medications.
"We now have tools like GLP-1s and metabolic support to manage this interface. You should never have to choose between your mental health and your metabolic health." — Dr. Uzma Khan
The "MVP" Mindset
In the arena of your health, you are the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Every specialist you see—whether they are a rheumatologist or a psychiatrist—is a coach.
A coach's job is to offer expertise and options, but you are the one in the arena. If your "coach" is dismissive or refuses to look at the full clinical picture, they aren't helping you win the game of health.
Connect with the Experts
Dr. Uzma Khan: Specialized in the interface of psychiatry, weight loss, and menopause. Find her at UzmaKhanMD.com or on Instagram @DrUzmaKhanMD.
Dr. Isabelle Amigues: Providing direct-care holistic rheumatology in Denver and Boulder. Visit UnabridgedMD.com to learn about seeing a rheumatologist who listens.
Are you in need of a compassionate rheumatologist who will listen and work with you toward disease remission? If you're searching for the best direct-care rheumatologist in Denver, UnabridgedMD is here for you. Click here to get in touch https://www.unabridgedmd.com or call 303-731-4006
or call 303-731-4006
Comments