Say More About That

23Medical Advocacy: When Feeling Intimidated, Dismissed, and Powerless Combine

I dedicate a specific section of this book to medical advocacy because it is one of the hardest spaces in which to speak up. Whether advocating for their own needs or the needs of their loved ones, folks can feel intimidated, dismissed, and powerless when speaking with physicians. While most of us trust our doctors and are always willing to hear their direction, sometimes doctors intimidate us because they know more than we do, even though we are living in our own bodies. Sometimes our doctors dismiss things we think are serious because they have the bias of dealing with medical concerns all day, and ours can seem minor. Sometimes doctors make us feel powerless because they ultimately determine the course of treatment for things that are happening to us, leaving us with the power of either abiding or finding another doctor altogether. Medical treatment is one of the greatest opportunities for inclusion in the world. There are all kinds of disparities in how people experience health, exacerbated by inclusion failures like limited access to care, racial bias, and lack of information. Speaking up when we are talking with our medical practitioners is one way we can begin to have more comprehensive health experiences. Inclusion in the case of our health care can literally be a life‐or‐death issue.

When we feel like our lives or health are on the line, it makes sense that speaking up would be a challenge. ...