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Medical gaslighting
Hi all,
I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced medical gaslighting through your vA journey?
I have mentioned in previous posts that my doctors (especially) my primary care and rheumatologist did not take certain signs seriously—peeling hands, aching joints and bones (outside of what would be considered normal), overall feeling of being unwell all the time.
I have had to have my own vA serum labs run because my doctor never recognized the signs, and basically blew me off.
How do you feel about doctors helping or not during your vA toxicity and recovery?
It seems to me that many here have become quite jaded about medical care for chronic conditions. Emergency conditions are another matter.
When I talked to doctors about me suspecting a vA toxicity I felt a mix of interest, annoyance and incredulity. I figure it's pointless to talk to them about this subject, they are not researchers anyway. If I need a prescription for rosacea or dry eye then there's no problem.
This is not medical gaslighting. It's ignorance. Doctors don't know better. They know what they learned in medical school. And, as Grapes mentioned, they're not researchers.
David Healy is a prominent voice in the fight against SSRIs, and he mentioned that a lot of courses related to psychiatry at medical school are underwritten by big pharma. It's very likely this happens in other fields of medicine as well. Go figure.
This is not to say that it's not very frustrating to work with doctors. They're essentially useless for any chronic condition. And this is why I've long ago given up on expecting to receive help from anyone in the medical field. Naturopaths included.
This is why this forum is very important.
Vitamin A toxicity is still very fringe. And even within the community, there is not consensus how to detox vitamin A best. Grant's prison diet approach works for far too few people, he himself acknowledges this and gauges the success rate to be 50% for those who start a low vitamin A diet. There are still a lot of unknown variables.
I really can't blame Doctors in this mess. It's the entire system that's totally messed up. Long term health should be the measuring stick for success, and not shareholder value. You're not really going to see a change, and probably never will.
I wouldn't call this jaded, but seeing reality as it is.
Quote from Hermes on June 26, 2026, 10:45 pmThis is not medical gaslighting. It's ignorance. Doctors don't know better. They know what they learned in medical school. And, as Grapes mentioned, they're not researchers.
David Healy is a prominent voice in the fight against SSRIs, and he mentioned that a lot of courses related to psychiatry at medical school are underwritten by big pharma. It's very likely this happens in other fields of medicine as well. Go figure.
This is not to say that it's not very frustrating to work with doctors. They're essentially useless for any chronic condition. And this is why I've long ago given up on expecting to receive help from anyone in the medical field. Naturopaths included.
This is why this forum is very important.
Vitamin A toxicity is still very fringe. And even within the community, there is not consensus how to detox vitamin A best. Grant's prison diet approach works for far too few people, he himself acknowledges this and gauges the success rate to be 50% for those who start a low vitamin A diet. There are still a lot of unknown variables.
I really can't blame Doctors in this mess. It's the entire system that's totally messed up. Long term health should be the measuring stick for success, and not shareholder value. You're not really going to see a change, and probably never will.
I wouldn't call this jaded, but seeing reality as it is.
Yes. I feel my doctor is good at the quick stuff. Not the more intense stuff. But, he’s quick to suggest SSRIs.
I suppose we really do have to be our own health advocates. I make it a practice to journal and document what I’m feeling, labs, etc.
I find it useful (and comforting) to be able to look back and connect the dots.