© Thirdman
May 19, 2026
Kimmy Fischer
Pain, exhaustion, or diffuse symptoms: Many patients feel they are not taken seriously by doctors. How to recognize medical gaslighting.
With
Dr. med. Susanne Steinkraus
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You come with pain to the doctor's office. With exhaustion, sleep problems or symptoms that severely affect your everyday life. But instead of getting answers or diagnoses, you hear sentences like:
"That is probably just stress."
"You're too young for that."
"That's probably psychological."
Especially women report that their complaints are downplayed, hastily categorized as stress reactions, or not sufficiently investigated. There is now a term for this phenomenon: Medical Gaslighting.
The term “Gaslighting” originally comes from psychology and describes a form of emotional manipulation where a person is systematically led to question their own perception, memory, or reality.
In the medical context, this means: Patients feel that they are not taken seriously by doctors' statements or behavior and eventually start to question whether their complaints are real at all.
Important: Not every misdiagnosis or incorrect assessment is automatically Medical Gaslighting. The problem mainly arises when symptoms are repeatedly downplayed, ignored, or hastily explained without sufficiently examining possible causes.
Pain, Exhaustion or other ailments are portrayed as "not that bad."
Even though complaints are repeatedly reported, no further diagnostic steps are taken.
Stress, Anxiety or emotional stress are cited as explanations before physical causes have been ruled out.
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Many affected people report that they doubt their own perceptions after appointments.
Those who have to repeatedly explain why symptoms are real often experience this exact form of gaslighting.
When complaints are repeatedly trivialized, it can lead to diagnoses being made late.
Many illnesses develop gradually and initially show nonspecific symptoms. If these are not taken seriously over a long period, valuable time can be lost.
At the same time, many affected individuals suffer from self-doubt, frustration, and the feeling of being alone with their problems.
A symptom diary can help to record complaints concretely and make developments visible.
Note down important points and symptoms before the appointment.
No one has to rely on a single opinion when it comes to health issues.
Anyone experiencing pain, fatigue, or other symptoms has the right to be taken seriously.
What measures can doctors take to prevent medical gaslighting?
Open communication with patients and creating a trusting environment are crucial.
Have you personally experienced cases where patients felt they weren't taken seriously, and how did you handle them?
With empathy and genuine interest for patients, one will always find a common and satisfying solution.
How do you handle the challenge when a patient's symptoms are medically unexplained but still need to be taken seriously?
Here, interdisciplinary collaboration with other specialists can be useful to consider the symptoms holistically and truly support the patients.
What factors contribute to medical gaslighting occurring in the doctor-patient relationship?
Time pressure in practice, insufficient training in communication withPatients and prejudices can be such factors, for example.
In your opinion, should medical gaslighting be addressed more in medical education?
A stronger focus on communication, empathy, and the importance of the patient perspective could help raise awareness of this issue and improve the doctor-patient relationship.
Patients should be allowed to trust their own perceptions. Who pain or discomfort should not have to struggle to be taken seriously.
The more visible medical gaslighting becomes, the greater the chance for medicine that not only treats diseases but also sees the person behind them.
Studies and case reports show that women in particular are more often told that pain or symptoms are classified as 'psychological', 'hormonal', or 'stress-related'. This is particularly often reported in connection with endometriosis, autoimmune diseases, or chronic pain.
It may help to write down symptoms, prepare specific questions, and seek a second medical opinion. It is also important to trust your own perception and clearly address complaints.
Not necessarily. Even experienced doctors can initially misjudge symptoms. It becomes problematic especially when complaints are repeatedly downplayed or not further investigated.
Affected individuals report particularly often with endometriosis, fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, migraines, or Long Covid such experiences.
