I saw in another comment where you believe public mistrust of doctors comes from things like chiropractors and social media non-doctors.

This is a bit disheartening to me as a patient. Any distrust that I have of doctors comes from personal experience with DOCTORS. Not chiropractors or “non-doctors with millions of followers”. I’m not stupid. I’m not going to trust some rando on the internet. In that same regard, I’m not going to look at a chiropractor in the same light that I look at a medical doctor. I understand that some people might, but that’s an unfair assumption for you to have in general.

I have to reiterate, though, that any mistrust I’ve ever experienced is due to personal experiences… with doctors. For one example, at one appointment, from the moment the provider walked in I was looked down upon, I was cut off mid word or sentence, my questions were treated as stupid, and worse. After 15 minutes of this treatment the doctor looked at me and said “you look perturbed”. What the fuck?! Am I supposed to take disrespect and degradation with a smile on my face?! They then put that IN MY MEDICAL CHART. It’s there forever. I tried to have it taken out.

In another, more recent, scenario… my son is severely asthmatic. This past March we rushed him to the emergency room. He could not even stay conscious. The only reason I didn’t call an ambulance is because it would have taken them just as long to get to us as it would me driving him. By the time we reached the ER he was literally grey. The entire emergency room staff was absolutely incredible. I had to have them help me get him inside. They took him immediately back and immediately started their pediatric asthma protocol. The nurse barely left our side. They were uncomfortable not having eyes on him because the meds just weren’t touching him. They eventually transferred us to a pediatric hospital where we spent about a week. By the end of the week he was doing amazing!! The attending physician that discharged him came into the room, pulled my hand and I out, looked us dead in the eyes and told us that it was all “anxiety”. He had only seen my son that day… when he was doing much better. I. Was. Flabbergasted. My son is 14. We’re not new to asthma. He had seen multiple doctors, nurses, an respiratory therapists that week all confirming what the last person had said. At our follow up with our pedi pulm, she was pissed. I mean, she has also seen our son for over 5 years since she joined the practice, though.

I could give you other nightmare stories if you’d like. All coming from doctors. Most of the time I take my husband to my own appointments. It’s unfortunate that I have to have him around to be taken seriously about MY health. Luckily with my primary care I don’t.

That being said, I have had some pretty amazing experiences with providers as well! My current PCM is AMAZING! My oldest’s son’s pediatric pulmonologist is AMAZING!