Women who survived coronavirus angry after persistent symptoms dismissed as 'anxiety' by doctors

submitted by wicklesnarf from independent.co.uk

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[–]Aquadog 30 insightful - 2 fun30 insightful - 1 fun31 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

I forget the name of the documentary, but there was a town in Colorado where everyone got sick with some flu, and something like 70% of the women had symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome after. They called in the CDC and they were like, "Well, they're women." So nothing was done and they were told to see psychologists.

[–]threefingersam 25 insightful - 2 fun25 insightful - 1 fun26 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

That really sucks. It is a common experience to women seeking medical help. I've had experience of having my health concerns (not covid-related) dismissed as "anxiety."

[–]YoutiaoLover 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

The fact that this is common baffles me. My country isn't big on mental health so physiological symptoms are never linked to anxiety/depression, which I'm thankful for. How can doctors dismiss health problem as "AnXIetY" when they're not a psychologist in the first place?

[–]TeaAndCigarettes 16 insightful - 1 fun16 insightful - 0 fun17 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Sexism.

Also women's pain doesn't matter.

[–]lefterfield 18 insightful - 2 fun18 insightful - 1 fun19 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Not surprising. I had several severe, drug-induced side effects that two different doctors dismissed as either imaginary or symptoms of depression(pretty sure one of the symptoms of depression is not "hours-long agonizing migraines that I never previously had). Women are always just complaining about problems they don't really have or it's all in our heads. :eyeroll:

[–]missdaisycan 16 insightful - 2 fun16 insightful - 1 fun17 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

Once again, it's projection. The hypochondriacs in my life have been male.

[–]Sun_bear 13 insightful - 2 fun13 insightful - 1 fun14 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I now know three men who've gone to the doctor, been told there is nothing wrong with them, and then made huge sacrifices to pay for an assortment of private tests to try and prove there is. One of them deferred his university studies to pay for a scan in an MRI machine. Two of them were obviously suffering from fairly severe anxiety and regular panic attacks. As far as I am aware none of the doctors ever suggested to any of them that perhaps that money spent on expensive medical tests could be better spent on therapy.

Also when my grandfather was in the final years of his life he went to the doctor once a week for all sorts of cooked up problems. My grandmother meanwhile ignored all of her symptoms before finally keeling over from stage 4 bowel cancer and appearing to die quite suddenly. None of us knew she was having any symptoms at all.

[–]wicklesnarf[S] 7 insightful - 3 fun7 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

Oh God this is my grandmother exactly. She's extremely type A, stereotypical 60s housewife. When my mom was a kid they went to Disneyland, she rolled her ankle getting out of the RV, then walked on it all day until she had to go to the hospital. Didn't want to ruin the kids' vacation, of course! Same thing a few years ago, she had APPENDICITIS and didn't mention she was in excruciating pain until it burst and she almost died. Didn't want to inconvenience anyone with her sepsis, of course! Her pain tolerance must be insane, she should've been a Marine instead of a SAHM.

[–]jet199 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I've had a lot of nurses in my life so mostly female for me.

Nurses are the worst hypochondriacs.

[–]wicklesnarf[S] 15 insightful - 1 fun15 insightful - 0 fun16 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

With the pandemic, it's more important than ever that we advocate for our health and the health of women in our care. Every one of us is valuable and entitled to professional treatment from our doctors.

[–]Killer_Danish 12 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 0 fun13 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I had a severe reaction to birth control pills that included perpetual migraines and nausea. The doctor told me it couldn't be the BC, and that I was probably just "stressed."

Stopped BC, and lo and behold, my symptoms went away.

Thanks for nothing, doc!

[–]Sebell 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I had a "flu like illness" and a cough that last 12 weeks after recovering. It's very well recognized diseases, after the initial infection, can continue to cause issues. "It can't be helped" isn't "It doesn't exist".

[–]jjdub7Gay Male Guest Commentator 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Granted, last century's version of this story would've seen her declared hysterical, involuntarily committed, and lobotomized, so...

Progress? Congress.

The tendency to dismiss definitely stems from the same inane "diagnosis" of hysteria.