Your Self-Advocacy Script for the Doctor's Office

Feeling dismissed by your doctor during perimenopause is incredibly common, but that doesn't make it right. One of the most powerful ways to reclaim control in the exam room is to be prepared.

When a provider minimizes your concerns with a phrase like, "This is just a normal part of aging," it can be hard to know how to respond.

Here’s a simple, powerful, and respectful script you can use:

"I understand that these changes are common, but the severity of these symptoms is significantly impacting my quality of life and my ability to work. I'd like to discuss treatment options to manage them."

This phrase does three things:

It validates their point ("I understand...").
It recenters the conversation on YOUR experience ("impacting my quality of life").
It moves the conversation from dismissal to action ("discuss treatment options").

Watch for the Blog Post I'm writing on this topic - packed with research and more strategies you can use to address it. Medical dismissal or medical gaslightiing of all stages of menopausal women is real and back by research. Advocate for yourself ~ know how and when.

Here are some teasers from the Blog:

Consider the story of Katie Taylor, founder of the support group The Latte Lounge. For four years, she was misdiagnosed with depression and prescribed antidepressants before a specialist correctly identified her symptoms as perimenopausal.

In an account shared publicly, Marian Adams described a harrowing three-year search for answers, during which one doctor dismissed her severe insomnia by noting she was 'dressed nicely and wearing your pearls.'

Question for the group:

What's one phrase or strategy you've used to make sure you were heard at a doctor's appointment? Share your strugles and wins below!

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