What to do about medical gaslighting - Harvard Health (2024)

FAQs

How do you fight medical gaslighting? ›

If you're worried about being taken seriously or getting a correct diagnosis, bring a trusted friend or family member to your appointment. This ensures you will have someone there who can back you up if a healthcare provider questions your observations of your symptoms.

Sometimes, a Bronx patient may complain of a particular ailment, but the New York doctor does not take them seriously. An improper, dismissive diagnosis might result. Known as medical gaslighting, errors such as these on a doctor's part could leave patients filing a medical malpractice claim.

Victims of medical gaslighting may have legal recourse to seek justice for the harm they have endured. While laws regarding medical malpractice vary by jurisdiction, victims should consult with an experienced attorney specializing in medical negligence cases to understand their rights and potential legal avenues.

Medical malpractice occurs when the negligence of a healthcare professional leads to injury, because the professional acted improperly or failed to take appropriate action. And medical negligence can take many forms. Medical gaslighting, a particularly insidious form of medical malpractice, has made recent headlines.

Rather than getting angry, frustrated, and defending yourself again the gaslighter's accusations, it is better to remain calm and indifferent. Not engaging with them or revealing emotion shows that you have self-confidence and self-control. Gaslighters want you to get upset as this helps them undermine you even more.

Medical gaslighting by healthcare providers can have a devastating impact on women. These experiences can erode trust in medical professionals, create feelings of self-doubt, and lead to delays in receiving proper care.

Under California law, any type of willful conduct that causes another person emotional distress, through words or acts intended to control, intimidate, or subjugate another person through fear could lead to domestic violence charges for emotional abuse.

“When an individual is gaslit, their symptoms aren't taken seriously, they aren't evaluated, they aren't heard and respected,” says Rosen. As a result, symptoms can worsen, diagnoses can be delayed, and mortality rates can rise. Geraghty says gaslighting also frequently results in medical trauma.

What are the four C's of medical malpractice? ›

The four C's of medical malpractice – compassion, communication, competence and charting – serve as a cornerstone to help doctors and other care providers navigate their interactions with patients in order to avoid medical malpractice lawsuits.

If a physician dismisses a concern, you can request that they document their decision in your medical record. Two heads are better than one. If it is at all possible, bring a family member or friend to important appointments. They may hear something you don't, or they may ask a question you may not have thought of.

Healthcare gaslighting can happen on many levels. It's not illegal on its own, but it can quickly cross into the realm of medical malpractice. Gaslighting is often connected to forms of malpractice like failure to diagnose. It's your physician's responsibility to diagnose you with critical conditions.

Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse that aims to manipulate someone into questioning their own reality. In some instances, false accusations can be used to achieve this harmful goal. False accusations are not only incredibly damaging to the accused, but they can also cause confusion and self-doubt for the accuser.

Listen to your gut.

Physicians are the experts in medicine, but you are the expert on you. It can be a relief to hear “Don't worry, you're fine!,” but if you feel uneasy about letting something go, that may be a sign to seek out a specialist or another opinion.

Ultimately, gaslighters want attention and control. They'll spin lies and microaggressions to make you doubt yourself. One of the best ways to turn the tables on a gaslighter is to simply not listen to or engage with them. When they start gaslighting you, shrug and walk away or think about something else.