The Pledge
Listen. Validate. Act.
A professional commitment to end dismissal, delay, and disbelief in healthcare and beyond.
The National Anti-Gaslighting pledge is a professional commitment to ensure patients are heard, validated, and treated with urgency and respect.
Display of this badge reflects voluntary participation in the National Anti-Gaslighting Pledge™ and commitment to patient-centered communication standards. It does not represent regulatory certification.
Listen. Validate. Act.
What is gaslighting?
Gaslighting outside the medical setting
What is Medical Gaslighting?
Gaslighting is a pattern of dismissing, minimizing, or distorting someone’s lived experience in a way that causes them to question their reality.
It can happen intentionally or unintentionally.
It can happen in exam rooms, workplaces, churches, classrooms, and homes.
It erodes trust.
It delays care.
It damages confidence.
It harms health.
What is Medical Gaslighting?
Gaslighting outside the medical setting
What is Medical Gaslighting?
Medical gaslighting occurs when a patient’s symptoms, concerns, or lived experience are dismissed, minimized, or attributed to unrelated causes without appropriate evaluation.
Examples include:
- “Your labs are normal, so nothing is wrong.”
- “You’re just stressed.”
- “It’s anxiety.”
- “You’re overreacting.”
- “That’s common. You’ll be fine.”
- Failing to document symptoms.
- Refusing further testing despite clinical red flags.
- Ignoring patterns the patient consistently reports.
Medical gaslighting does not always come from malice.
Often, it comes from time pressure, implicit bias, overreliance on test results, or cognitive shortcuts.
But impact matters more than intent.
Gaslighting outside the medical setting
Gaslighting outside the medical setting
Gaslighting outside the medical setting
Gaslighting also appears in:
Workplaces
- Dismissing fatigue or chronic illness as “lack of motivation”
- Labeling disability as weakness
- Minimizing accommodation requests
Families & Relationships
- “You’re being dramatic.”
- “That never happened.”
- “You’re too sensitive.”
Faith Communities
- Attributing illness solely to lack of faith
- Suggesting suffering is moral failure
When patterns of dismissal occur repeatedly, individuals may begin to doubt their own perceptions — even when they are correct.
LISTEN
VALIDATE
Gaslighting outside the medical setting
- Maintain eye contact.
- Do not interrupt within the first 60–90 seconds.
- Ask clarifying questions.
- Document concerns accurately.
- Recognize patterns over isolated complaints.
- Acknowledge lived experience as clinical data.
Listening is diagnostic.
VALIDATE
VALIDATE
VALIDATE
- “I believe you.”
- “Your symptoms matter.”
- “Let’s figure this out.”
- “Even if we don’t have the answer yet, we will keep investigating.”
Validation does not require immediate certainty.
It requires respect.
ACT
VALIDATE
VALIDATE
- Order appropriate testing.
- Provide referrals when needed.
- Reassess when treatment fails.
- Follow up.
- Document clearly.
- Advocate when necessary.
Action transforms trust into outcomes.
Who should Sign the Pledge
Who should Sign the Pledge
Who should Sign the Pledge
- Physicians
- Nurse Practitioners
- Physician Assistants
- Nurses
- Therapists
- Psychologists
- Social Workers
- Pharmacists
- Physical Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Speech Therapists
- Medical Educators
- Healthcare Administrators
- Faith-based health leaders
- Support Group leaders
- Nonprofit organizations
- Caregivers
For Patients
Who should Sign the Pledge
Who should Sign the Pledge
You deserve:
- To be heard.
- To be believed.
- To receive thorough evaluation.
- To ask questions.
- To seek second opinions.
- To participate in decisions.
If you feel dismissed:
- Ask for documentation of your concerns in your chart.
- Request a referral.
- Bring a support person.
- Seek a second opinion.
Your voice is data.
Call to Action
Who should Sign the Pledge
Call to Action
Healthcare professionals:
Join a growing national movement committed to ethical listening and responsive care.
- Sign the pledge.
- Display the badge.
- Be part of the standard