3 thoughts #4: On my brain, how are yous and medical gaslighting
Read or listen to my three thoughts of the week.
Hi! How is everything with you this week?
Here are my 3 thoughts of the week. You can choose to listen or read it below.
I’ve had a great August and September, but now my brain is starting to close down again (breathe in breathe out). I have enough posts for the beginning of December, and then I’ll most likely go on Christmas break.
The words ‘how are you?’ can sometimes, as a chronically ill person, be difficult to answer, because… well… where to begin… so sometimes being asked ‘what are in your thoughts lately?’ can be a good alternative, just to switch things up.
I have found that one consequence of medical gaslighting (not being believed in the medical setting) is that I find I don’t trust my voice as much as I used to, and I feel the need to defend myself more often — it feels like some inner confidence and worth has been shattered and it will take time to rebuild that.
What about you?
Where are you at creatively right now?
What’s your favourite version of a ‘how are you?’
If you’ve experienced medical gaslighting, what were the personal consequences?
This is a safe space and I welcome both joy and sorrow, happiness and sadness, elation and grief as well as everything in between. Nothing is too dark or too bright here. I hope to see you in the comments.
P.S Did you read my blog post about how shame works to legitimise social injustices? There are also some great comments under it. On Wednesday you will get a new blog post.
I prefer ‘how’s your day been’ as opposed to ‘how are you’ - I’ve said to friends/family that ‘how are you’ feels so much more loaded to evaluate everything, whereas sometimes it’s less pressure to just tell them about what a specific day has been like. ‘What’s in your thoughts lately’ is also so great - will start using that too!