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Research shows that medical invalidation and poor bedside manner are problematic for anxious patients.

Asymmetric patient-provider relationships can worsen an anxious patient's medical fears.

Self-determination and autonomy are important for patients to ensure an empathetic clinical relationship.

When the cardiologist frustratedly told me, “Look, I can’t tell you what every little thing you feel in your chest is,” I immediately felt invalidated, shamed, and guilty for having wasted his time. But I had been feeling discomfort in my chest for a while, and my primary care physician had referred me to a cardiologist as a precautionary measure. I was only following doctor’s orders. While the wisdom of hindsight tells me that I was experiencing anxiety, not a cardiac problem, I did not know it at the time, and I was relying on the cardiologist to give me some peace of mind, not to make me feel silly.

Many individuals who experience health anxiety have been in similar situations where a medical professional’s reaction has left them feeling worse rather than better at a medical appointment. There is a substantial body of research to support the idea that provider invalidation, dismissiveness, and lack of empathy are not only not uncommon but also make an already stressful situation for a health-anxious person even worse. A 2022 study concluded that “patients felt dismissed when they perceived that providers were rude or did not take action, provided poor information, did not believe patients, rushed the........

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