«White coat syndrome»: is it worth unconditionally trusting doctors?

The day of the planned visit to the doctor has come. You walk into the office and the doctor asks what you’re complaining about. You confusingly list all the symptoms that you can remember. The specialist examines you, perhaps asks a couple of questions, then calls the diagnosis or prescribes further examinations. Leaving the office, you are perplexed: “Is he right at all?” But you reassure yourself: “He is still a doctor!”

Wrong! Doctors are not perfect either. You have every right to express dissatisfaction if the doctor is in a hurry or does not take your complaints seriously. Why, then, do we usually not question the conclusions of doctors and do not object, even if they treat us with obvious disrespect?

“It’s all about the so-called “white coat syndrome.” We tend to immediately take a person in such clothes seriously, he seems to us knowledgeable and competent. We subconsciously become obedient to it,” says nurse Sarah Goldberg, author of The Patient’s Guide: How to Navigate the World of Modern Medicine.

In 1961, Yale University professor Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment. The subjects worked in pairs. It turned out that if one of them was dressed in a white coat, the second one began to obey him and treat him like a boss.

“Milgram clearly demonstrated how much power we are ready to give a man in a white coat and how we generally instinctively react to manifestations of power. He showed that this is a universal trend,” writes Sarah Goldberg in her book.

Goldberg, who has worked as a nurse for many years, has repeatedly seen how the «white coat syndrome» manifests itself. “This power is sometimes abused and harms patients. Doctors are also just people, and you should not put them on a pedestal, ”she says. Here are some tips from Sarah Goldberg to help you resist the effects of this syndrome.

Assemble a permanent team of doctors

If you consistently see the same doctors (eg, internist, gynecologist, optometrist, and dentist) that you trust and feel comfortable with, it will be easier to be honest with them about your problems. These specialists will already know your individual «norm», and this will greatly help them in making the correct diagnosis.

Do not rely only on doctors

Often we forget that not only doctors work in the healthcare sector, but also other specialists: pharmacists and pharmacists, nurses and nurses, physiotherapists and many others. “We are so focused on helping doctors that we forget about other professionals who, in some cases, can help us faster and more efficiently,” says Goldberg.

Prepare for your doctor’s visit

Goldberg advises preparing an «opening statement» ahead of time. Make a list of everything you wanted to tell the doctor. What symptoms would you like to talk about? How intense are they? Does it get worse at certain times of the day or after eating certain foods? Write down absolutely everything.

She also recommends preparing a list of questions. «If you don’t ask questions, the doctor is more likely to miss something,» says Goldberg. Don’t know where to start? Just ask your doctor to explain all recommendations in detail. “If you have been diagnosed, or told that your pain is normal, or offered to wait and see how your condition changes, do not settle for it. If you don’t understand something, ask for an explanation,” she says.

Ask a loved one to accompany you

Often, entering the doctor’s office, we are nervous because we may not have time to tell everything in such a short time. As a result, we really forget to report some important details.

If you’re afraid that you won’t be able to explain everything properly, even by making a plan on paper, Goldberg advises asking someone close to accompany you. Research shows that the mere presence of a friend or relative can help calm you down. In addition, a loved one can remind you of some important details if you forget to tell the doctor about them.

Source: health.com