Trouble Being Believed + Getting Over That?
Hey so I have a background of almost dying and going into psychosis from a relatively simple physical issue (vitamin deficiency + potentially severe burnout). Throughout the process, I was basically ignored and treated like I was either malingering or just severely mentally ill and subsequently got diagnosed with several mental conditions (to be fair, I do think they’re correct). The experience was really challenging to me and has left me very skeptical of doctors and therapy, though I still go to both with an appropriate level of regularity. As a consequence of the situation, I have also developed some level of hypochondria, which makes me overtly concerned about bodily sensations. Since my situation was so “simple” and was literally a small problem that blasted into something huge, I’ve lost my ability to tell what I should take serious.
Since this experience, it has taken me awhile to find a therapist who didn’t immediately discount my experience and the doctor(s) I go to I have reason to believe view me as a “frequent flyer.” I am generally dismissed wherever I go and it’s challenging to find someone who is both willing to take me seriously and understand that my anxiety and fixation on probably minor issues comes from a place of being neglected rather than from malingering or pure hypochondria. While I’m mostly fine now, I am having trouble moving past the idea that, because doctors “hate” me, the chances of me getting seriously injured or deceased over a minor inconvenience are higher than they should be or just dismiss doctor opinions altogether, even when they are reasonable. Any dismissal, even appropriate dismissal, leaves me distressed and fixated on my experiences.
Has anyone dealt with this before? How have you mentally moved past this to have a more reasonable relationship with medical professionals or with your own body? I don’t want to be chronically flagged as a hypochondriac for the rest of my life and currently I think I kind of am, so advice on that too could be valuable
Posted Jun 14, 2025, 9:57 PM UTC