Dear Problem Patients
An open letter to anyone who’s ever felt dismissed by their doctor
Dear Problem Patients:
I want you to know that I believe you. No matter what is going on with your body or how strange it sounds when you try to explain it, I want you to know that I believe you.
Maybe your friends are pulling away because you keep canceling plans and you don’t have the words to explain why. Maybe your job performance or your studies are suffering because it takes all you have just to keep a healthy-looking face on during the day. Maybe you’ve stopped working entirely because your foggy brain and your tired aching body can no longer perform tasks that used to be easy. Maybe your family thinks you need to stop being so dramatic; maybe they’ve said this to you explicitly or maybe it’s implied when they roll their eyes, when they stop asking you how you’re doing. Maybe your doctor leaned away from you when you brought up your concerns and suggested you see a therapist. Maybe you feel really alone right now. Maybe you’ve been feeling alone for a long time. (If you struggle to explain what’s happening to friends & family, I’ve got a letter for them too.)
I want you to know that you’re not alone. I want you to know that there are so many other people who feel uncertain and isolated and scared because something…
