5 Steps To Take When Your Doctor Thinks You're Faking

You’re really sick but your doctor thinks you’re faking. There’s no worse feeling than knowing in your bones that something is wrong and being faced with a doctor who simply won’t listen. If your doctor doesn’t believe you or thinks you’re a hypochondriac, there’s something you can do.

1.Understand Why Your Doctor Doesn’t Believe You

It’s easy to get angry at a doctor who thinks you’re faking. When a medical professional doesn’t believe you, you may begin to doubt your own sanity. After all, they have the medical degree so they know best, right? Not always. It’s important to understand that many medical doctors, from the time they enter medical school, are taught more about how to treat symptoms than they are preventative medicine.

If you have a broken leg or a malfunctioning kidney, the diagnoses and treatments are fairly cut and dry. However, when it comes to chronic conditions like fibromyalgia, Ehlers Danlos syndrome, and celiac disease, medical doctors are often ill-equipped to deal with them.

Your blood tests and radiological exams may come back slightly unusual but not in a way that offers them a clear-cut way to treat you. This can cause frustration, confusion, and a feeling of helplessness someone who has been through years of medical school just doesn’t know how to handle.

In this instance, if a doctor cannot find the cause from clinical tests, he or she may be tempted to believe the problem is more psychological than physical.

2.Be Your Own Best Health Advocate

If you’ve been struggling with chronic illness for a long time, it may feel like you’re all alone with no one to turn to. But there is someone. You. Do thorough research on your symptoms, talk to people on message boards for those with chronic illness and pain, and read books on natural health and wellness.

Though the word “cyberchondriac” gets bandied about with someone who looks up their symptoms online, there’s a difference between using the Internet as a genuine research tool for something you’ve had a long time and looking up a different symptom every week. Being armed with knowledge gives you a feeling of empowerment and a place to start when you’re looking for a second opinion.

3.Bring Someone with You to Appointments

Medical doctors who run large practices are often unable to spend more than 5 or 10 minutes with each patient. This can easily lead to confusion and misunderstandings. If you have questions or are confused about something, your doctor might become impatient with you and dismiss your concerns. Taking someone with you to your appointments offers a second ear to catch anything you might have missed. Also, there is something to be said about a friend or family member corroborating your story and advocating for you.

4.Take Your Diet and Lifestyle into Consideration

More often than not, your diet and lifestyle plays a crucial role in whether or not you develop chronic illness. A diet filled with highly-processed foods, lack of exercise, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, stress, and lack of sleep are common yet overlooked contributors of a variety of autoimmune and neurological conditions. Could there be anything you’re doing right now that might be contributing to your symptoms?

5.Get a Second Opinion Through Telemedicine

Telemedicine offers you the option of a wider range of care than you might receive in a small town or through your insurance company. If you feel you’ve exhausted your possibilities and none of the doctors you’ve seen believe you, telemedicine may be your saving grace. With an online doctor, you’re able to seek medical advice no matter where you are in the world.

I Believe You're Really Sick

If your doctor thinks you're faking, rest assured, I don't. I'm Dr. Craig A. Maxwell and I've been practicing osteopathic medicine for over 30 years. I've seen more "hopeless" cases walk through my door than you would believe. Patients who've come to me at their wits end with doctors who think they're faking.

I recently closed down my practice in Ohio to go into telemedicine full time. As an osteopathic physician, I focus on preventative care, dietary and lifestyle changes, nutrition, and nutritional supplements.

All is not lost. No matter how long you've been struggling with chronic illness, frustration, and pain, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Click on the link below to get in contact with me and let me help you achieve your best health!