What Is Medical Gaslighting?

Medical gaslighting refers to the experience of having one's health concerns, symptoms, or illness dismissed, minimized, or attributed to psychological causes by healthcare providers without adequate evaluation — leaving the patient feeling unheard, invalidated, and doubting their own perception of their body. The term borrows from the psychological concept of gaslighting (making someone question their own reality) and has gained significant traction as patients — particularly women, people of color, and those with stigmatized or poorly understood conditions — speak out about experiences of being dismissed in medical settings.

What Medical Gaslighting Looks Like

Medical gaslighting can range from overt dismissal to subtle undermining of patient credibility:

Explicit dismissal: "There's nothing wrong with you," "Your tests are normal," "It's all in your head," "You're just anxious," "You're too young to have that," delivered without adequate evaluation or explanation of what has been ruled out.