Thank you. I have been wanting to post something like this for a while to not only raise awareness for emotional abuse/gaslighting at home and at the doctor's office. It was hard to post because these are personal stories and made me vulnerable. But I kept thinking how hearing /reding these similar stories from others like me has given me so much comfort and validation, I figured it was "my turn" to do that for someone else. Even folks who do not have chronic illnesses may be carrying guilt about family estrangement/abuse. If I can help relieve that in just one person that would be amazing.
Even in the disability/chronic illness communities abuse isn't talked about much except for medical gaslighting. Maybe I can help break that stigma even just a little.
The asthma thing hurt because my mother was gentler to me. In some ways she would try to shield me from some of the abuse from my father/stepmother.The fact that after a respiratory therapist said to her that I absolutely have asthma ,when I got home she told me she didn't believe it she thought I was being dramatic. That really hurt. Though did see a doctor that week and he confirmed yes it absolutely is asthma. I believe the dr appointment was made as an attempt to discredit me ,not get me care.
Soon after the asthma dx my stepmother kept going on and on how olympic athletes have asthma and since it's not a big deal for them I should be fine. She and my father are truly evil.
My sister has very mild asthma. She never was treated like this. They believed her right away. I had been mentioning for years that my lungs hurt a lot and breathing was difficult before this incident.
You can't fake blue/purple legs either... even if I wasn't sick I am sure I still would have been the scapegoat/black sheep of the family regardless. The empathetic children usually are in these dynamics.
I am sorry you also suffer from PTSD. It's harder than most people realize.
You are a kind soul. I appreciate you. ❤️