Medical Trauma

I get asked this question often, and the truth is: medical trauma is a wide and complex term. It can look like many different things, but at its core, it’s about the major emotional distress that happens as a result of illness, treatment, or experiences within the medical system.

Medical trauma can include things like:

• Medical procedures or surgeries

• Experiencing severe pain or discomfort for long periods

• Being dismissed

• A frightening diagnosis

• Bad treatment experiences or unkind medical staff

• Medical neglect or outright medical abuse

• Therapy or mental health treatment that is harmful (yes, therapy trauma is real)

It’s important to understand that medical trauma isn’t only about things “going wrong.” Even if the doctors and nurses do everything right, a person can still be traumatized. Medical procedures, even when life-saving, can be terrifying, invasive, or leave you feeling powerless. Being intubated, undergoing surgery, or waiting in uncertainty about an outcome can all take a toll on your nervous system.

And then there are the times the system does fail you. Being ignored, invalidated, or gaslit by medical professionals about your symptoms or pain can cause lasting harm. Chronic patients, disabled folks, and people who experience repeated dismissal are especially vulnerable to this type of trauma.

Medical trauma doesn’t have to come from a “life-threatening” illness. Any treatment, diagnosis, or ongoing medical experience that leaves you distressed, fearful, or powerless can be traumatic.

There’s so much more to say on this topic, but if you take one thing away from this post, let it be this:

If your trauma comes from medical experiences, you are valid

[Did you come here from our Specific Trauma Experiences page? Click here to go back!]

This post is for informational and peer-support purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. Read our full Disclaimer here.