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Lou Fitz's avatar

Such a coincidence to have received this today as I was lying in bed last night thinking about this very thing and how it's happened to me on more than one occasion. It was mostly prior to diagnosis but also after. The conclusion of my first GP appointment when half of my body had gone numb was to download a mindfulness app. And since diagnosis I have been questioned by a professional as to whether I'd imagined some symptoms after reading more about MS following diagnosis. Really interesting to see these survey results - thank you!

This is also the first time I've ever posted anywhere about this illness.

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Pip's avatar

The harm goes further than delayed diagnosis for one condition (eg MS) as after a while you start to lose all confidence in your own judgement on anything - your body and senses tell you one thing, but you've been told that they lie to you, so how do you know what is real and what isn't? It does lasting psychological harm. Every medical appointment you go in with anxiety that you won't be believed, that if you show any emotion your symptoms will be dismissed and that you'll be patronised. Then you are told you are anxious or antagonistic and again your physical symptoms are dismissed. If a practitioner truly believes that someone does not have the symptoms they report, then refer for psychiatric evaluation. Otherwise, believe the patient.

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