India, May 22 -- Does your healthcare provider dismiss your concerns or downplay your symptoms? This kind of behavior can leave you feeling unheard, invalidated, and even desperate. It's a phenomenon known as medical gaslighting-and it's real. According to a recent study led by Allyson Bontempo from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, patients who experience medical gaslighting often feel dismissed, doubted, and emotionally harmed, which can lead to serious consequences for their health and well-being. Also read | What medical gaslighting looks like

The study examined 151 qualitative reports representing over 11,000 individuals diagnosed with conditions like fibromyalgia, endometriosis, and long COVID. The researchers sought to u...