When the Doctor Doesn’t Believe You: How Race Shapes Chronic Illness Care
We all know the specific “joy” of the doctor’s office. You sit in a freezing room for 45 minutes past your appointment time, stuck in a paper gown that never quite ties in the back.
It’s an uncomfortable experience for everyone. But for Black patients—and especially Black women—the discomfort often turns into something much more dangerous once the doctor actually walks in.
When it comes to chronic illness and unexplained symptoms, there is a massive divide in how patients are treated based on their race. It is the difference between being heard and being handled.
“It is the difference between being heard and being handled.”
Curiosity vs. Skepticism
Let’s look at a common scenario. Two patients enter a clinic with the same vague, frustrating symptoms: deep fatigue, joint pain, and brain fog.
Patient A (White): Is often met with medical curiosity. The doctor sees a puzzle to be solved. They might order a full panel to rule out Lyme disease, thyroid issues, or autoimmune markers. They are given the benefit of the doubt.
Patient B (Black): Is statistically more likely to be met with skepticism. Instead of curiosity, they face assumptions. The conversation quickly pivots to lifestyle. “Are you stressed?” “How is your diet?” “Problems with drinking, drugs?”
This isn’t just a bad bedside manner; it is medical gaslighting. It is the exhausting experience of having your pain minimized and your reality questioned. For many Black patients, the path to a diagnosis involves jumping through hoops that their white counterparts simply don’t have to face.
The Myth of Pain Tolerance
One of the biggest drivers of this disparity is an outdated, dangerous bias regarding pain.
“Research has surprisingly shown that many medical professionals still hold subconscious beliefs that Black patients have a higher pain tolerance than white patients.”
Research has surprisingly shown that many medical professionals still hold subconscious beliefs that Black patients have a higher pain tolerance than white patients. A 2016 study published in PNAS revealed that half of white medical trainees believed at least one biological myth about Black patients, such as having “thicker skin” or less sensitive nerve endings.
Because of this, Black patients are less likely to be prescribed appropriate pain management. If you are Black, you often have to “perform” your pain—begging or crying—to convince a doctor that your level 8 pain is actually a level 8.
The Cost of “Just Relaxing”
When a doctor dismisses early signs of chronic illness as “just stress,” the clock keeps ticking.
For autoimmune diseases like Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, or MS, early detection is everything. When a white patient gets a referral to a specialist on visit one, and a Black patient is sent home with a pamphlet on anxiety, that time gap causes real damage.
This disparity erodes trust. Why go back to a system that makes you feel invisible?
Advocacy is the Best Medicine
So, how do we bridge this gap while the system catches up?
● Bring a Witness: It is harder for a doctor to brush you off when a friend or partner is in the room, taking notes.
● Request the Refusal: If a doctor says “no” to a test, ask them to note in your chart that you requested it, and they denied it.
● Find Your Community: This is where the natural health world becomes vital. Finding practitioners who listen to your whole story—not just your stats—can save your life.
Your pain is real. Your symptoms are valid. And you deserve a healthcare provider who believes you the first time you speak.
Resources for Black patients:
Seeing Patients: A Surgeon’s Story of Race and Medical Bias
