10/7 Medical Gaslighting and Self-Advocacy Part 1

Too many neurodivergent and chronically ill students spend years trying to convince doctors, professors, or even family that their symptoms are real. This week, the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA) are holding space for those experiences — to talk honestly about what happens when your pain, fatigue, or cognitive symptoms are dismissed, and how to find your voice again.

Research shows this isn’t rare. A 2022 review in Social Science & Medicine (Samulowitz et al.) found that patients - especially women, people of color, and neurodivergent individuals - are significantly more likely to have their physical symptoms psychologized or minimized, often being told that stress or anxiety are the “real” problem. Another study in Health Expectations (Werner & Malterud, 2021) documented how this pattern - known as medical gaslighting - leads to delayed diagnoses, worsening disability, and erosion of self-trust.

For students juggling both chronic illness and academic pressure, this disbelief can be devastating. Many learn to mask pain, over-perform, or stop seeking help altogether. We want to change that narrative. We will spend two days on this topic given how important and common it is.

We’ll talk about:

• What medical gaslighting looks like, especially for women, neurodivergent, and BIPOC students.

• How to advocate for yourself during appointments, testing, and evaluations without feeling dismissed.

• What to do when a provider minimizes your concerns - including how to request second opinions and documentation.

• How to emotionally recover from not being believed, rebuild trust in your body, and seek validating care.

Suggested Readings:

1. Samulowitz, A., et al. (2022). Gender bias in healthcare: Patients’ experiences of dismissal and misdiagnosis. Social Science & Medicine, 307, 115198.→ A systematic review showing how women and neurodivergent individuals are more likely to have symptoms minimized or attributed to stress.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115198

2. Werner, A., & Malterud, K. (2021). Medical gaslighting: Dismissal of women’s bodily experiences in health care. Health Expectations, 24(4), 1445–1454.→ A qualitative study of patients whose symptoms were repeatedly invalidated, describing the psychological toll and long-term effects.https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13302

3. Clare, C. A. (2023). Racial and gender disparities in pain assessment and treatment: Implications for patient trust. Journal of Pain Research, 16, 541–552.→ Explores how racial bias intersects with gender and neurodivergence in pain management—critical for understanding why BIPOC patients are less believed.https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S390518

4. Komaroff, A. L., & Bateman, L. (2021). Will COVID-19 Lead to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Nature Reviews Microbiology, 19(6), 393–404.→ Demonstrates how long COVID and ME/CFS involve measurable neurological and immune dysfunction, countering the “it’s all in your head” narrative.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00553-8