Psychology Today: "Long COVID and Gaslighting", Perkins and Jason

[Andy]

"Those without clear biological explanations of their post-viral symptoms due to COVID sometimes experience gaslighting from the very people who are assigned to be their helpers. Whenever an illness has hard-to-understand symptoms, such as those that affect people with ME/CFS, some experts are too quick to patronize and even undermine efforts to cope with their illness. In a sense, these patients are twice victimized, first by having debilitating symptoms and then by the reaction of others to their illness. With long COVID, particularly where the symptoms persist without easy-to-recognize organic damage, some health professionals have engaged in gaslighting, stigmatizing, and denying the serious nature or legitimacy of their illness."

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/...-revolution/202204/long-covid-and-gaslighting

 

[Trish]

Hmm, I appreciate the attempt in this article to raise the issue of gaslighting to psychologists, but I don't think it's explained very clearly. The best thing about it is the link to a very good much longer Guardian article, and the fact that it's co-written by a professional psychologist (Dr Perkins), and a psychology professor (Prof Jason), so other psychologists might take the problem seriously.