Reclaiming Your Voice After Medical Gaslighting

How Medical Gaslighting Creates Trauma

When a person seeks help and is told “nothing is wrong,” “it’s anxiety,” or “you’re exaggerating,” the experience can create profound emotional damage. Many adults internalize self-doubt, lose trust in their bodies, or fear seeking care again. Over time, this can lead to worsening health conditions, shame, or deep mistrust of the medical system. Gaslighting often carries a unique relational trauma because it involves a power imbalance and betrayal of expected care.

Why the Impact Lasts

Adults who have experienced medical dismissal frequently develop hypervigilance and fear around symptoms, feeling they must “prove” their suffering is real. Some avoid medical care entirely. Others experience rage, grief, or shame. These reactions aren’t irrational—they are trauma responses shaped by invalidation and vulnerability.

How ART Helps You Heal

ART allows clients to process the emotional wounds created during the gaslighting experience. Using eye movements to reduce distress, ART helps remove the emotional charge from memories of being dismissed, shamed, or ignored. Clients often feel a powerful sense of relief as they reconnect with their intuition and bodily wisdom. ART also strengthens self-trust, making it easier to advocate for one’s needs in future medical settings.

Rebuilding Confidence in Your Body

Healing this form of trauma allows adults to feel more grounded and confident in their own perceptions. They begin trusting their symptoms, intuition, and needs again. This leads to more empowered healthcare interactions—and better health outcomes.

Call to Action

If medical gaslighting has affected your sense of trust or safety, you deserve support.
Book an ART session today to begin reclaiming your voice.

Peer-Reviewed References

Kip, K. E., et al. (2016). Military Medicine.
Brewin, C. R. (2014). Psychological Bulletin.
Nelson, S. E., et al. (2021). Social Science & Medicine.
van der Kolk, B. A. (2014).