Canadians from across the country share their medical gaslighting experiences | Globalnews.ca

Medical gaslighting is an issue that has affected Canadians from coast to coast.

It can be described as the experience of being disbelieved, not taken seriously, and dismissed by medical providers.

Many health issues are reduced to weight, hormones or mental health problems.

Studies have shown this issue affects woman and minorities the most.

Doctors need to be aware of their biases when practicing medicine, says Shieron Phillips from Kingston , Ont ., and Justine Lindsay from Kitchener , Ontario .

Michelle McLean from Fredericton says medical gaslighting is “more common than it’s not” in New Brunswick .

Casandra Huntley , from Aylesford , N.S. , has a cerebral spinal fluid ( CSF ) leak that has been going untreated for almost a year due to the refusal of proper testing for her from her doctors.

Huntley doesn't want to keep trying to get proper care because of this experience.

Broughton says doctors need to be open to a patient’s experience as they are the experts in what they are going through. “I think it’s important for a patient to be listened to and not told how they feel.” Many people we talked to shared it is important for people to advocate for themselves and to listen to their bodies when they feel something is wrong. Others, meanwhile, remind people that there is a provincial college of physicians and surgeons that patients can reach out to if they feel like the medical gaslighting they are experiencing needs to be addressed..