5 Sneaky Signs Your Doctor Is Gaslighting You

Gaslighting, the term used when someone in power manipulates another person to doubt their own judgment, can manifest in medical settings.

“Medical gaslighting involves patients’ symptoms and lived experiences being dismissed by medical providers and explained away with incorrect diagnoses,” said Alyssa Burgart , a physician, bioethicist and clinical director at Stanford School of Medicine. “This can mean questions, tests and diagnoses that fit a biased pattern, rather than addressing the patient’s actual symptoms.”

Patients who are gaslit in clinical settings often experience delays with their medical treatment, missed diagnoses, and overall worsened health outcomes. This disproportionately affects women and people of color, who may experience greater distrust as a result.

Medical gaslighting can be so subtle that you may not even notice it happening as you are seeking care. Here, we spoke to experts about the subtle signs of medical gaslighting and what to do if you suspect it’s happening to you:

Your provider is not listening to you or often interrupts you.

If your provider doesn’t listen to your medical concerns and constantly interrupts you when you’re describing your symptoms, that’s likely a red flag. Providers should be an engaged listener and validate your feelings.

According to Burgart, all care providers ― including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses ― can do this to patients.

You feel like your medical concerns are being dismissed or ignored.

“Medical gaslighting is when people in an institution or people in a position of medical power are denying the patient’s reality,” said Julie Cantor , a physician, lawyer and entrepreneur. This may feel like your questions are often