By Trisha Pasricha, Photo: Washington Post Illustration/iStock, The Washington Post, September 25, 2023
Q: Doctors don’t seem to take me seriously when I tell them I’m in pain. Why don’t they believe how much I’m suffering?
A: Pain is consistently among the most common reasons people go to the emergency room, and at least 1 in 5 Americans experience chronic pain.
But it’s possible your doctor’s biases and personal experiences with pain are impacting your care. Many physicians are wary about opioid over-prescriptions and the unnecessary — and even harmful — procedures that can happen in a quest to find a diagnosis.
This has led some doctors to dismiss serious pain — a dangerous mistake that occurs more commonly to women and Black people. Patients can be made to feel “it’s all in their head” and ushered away with a mental health diagnosis.Others are forced toplead for relief.
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