When You Feel Terrible but Tests Say You're Fine: The Silent Struggle of Being Medically Dismissed

There is a particular kind of suffering that arises not only from physical symptoms, but from the invalidation of those symptoms. Many people living with chronic illness or undiagnosed conditions find themselves in a distressing limbo: feeling profoundly unwell while repeatedly being told by doctors that they are fine because their test results fall within normal ranges. This experience of being caught between undeniable symptoms and an absence of medical validation can be deeply isolating, frustrating, and even traumatic.

When the body is desperate for help, and every attempt to seek answers is met with skepticism, the message received is often: "It’s all in your head." This kind of medical dismissal can leave individuals questioning their own perception of reality. They may start to wonder if they're exaggerating, being overly sensitive, or imagining things. The internal conflict between what the body knows, and what the medical system reflects back, can create a profound sense of cognitive dissonance and self-doubt.

For many, symptoms are neither mild nor temporary. They can be debilitating, involving severe fatigue, unexplained pain, dizziness, brain fog, gastrointestinal issues, or heart palpitations that disrupt daily life, yet when tests come back normal, these real and disruptive symptoms are often downplayed. This is particularly common with conditions like myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, autoimmune disorders in their early stages, connective tissue disorders, post-viral syndromes, and certain neurological conditions. Many of these illnesses lack clear biomarkers or don’t show up on standard tests, making them invisible to traditional diagnostic tools but very real to the people experiencing them.

The emotional toll of this invisibility is immense. Being dismissed or minimized by healthcare providers can lead to feelings of helplessness, abandonment, shame, and medical trauma (you can read more about medical trauma in this context here). Patients may start to retreat from seeking care altogether, fearing further invalidation. Some endure years, even decades, without a proper diagnosis, collecting labels like 'anxious,' 'depressed,' or 'hypochondriac,' when in fact, they are dealing with a physical illness that has simply not yet been understood or identified. Indeed, it can range from a mind-body syndrome (you can read more about that here), to a rare and/or poorly understood illness (e.g. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome). Evidence now also suggests that adverse childhood experiences can result in illnesses later in life, which often appear vague and hard to pinpoint but are indeed real. You can find more information about that here.

A broader societal context must also be taken into account. Western medicine frequently adopts a reductionist approach, focusing on identifying and fixing a specific malfunctioning part, with an emphasis on precise diagnoses and measurable abnormalities. If something cannot be fully understood using conventional tests, it is often disregarded. This method leads to many individuals being overlooked and left behind. Additionally, biases in medical education and practice can worsen these situations, as research indicates that women and minorities are more likely to have their symptoms dismissed or wrongly attributed to psychological causes (although sometimes, that may be the case). However, it's important to note that men are also affected, despite being more prevalent in those populations.

In the midst of all this, patients are forced to become their own advocates; researching, documenting symptoms, seeking second or third opinions, and navigating a healthcare system that often seems more focused on what it can measure with tests than on what it can heal. This can be empowering for some, but for others it is exhausting and demoralizing. People may also turn to alternative medicine not necessarily because they reject science, but because they feel let down by the constraints of traditional care.

What’s needed is a shift in how medicine listens and responds. Patients deserve to be believed, even when there is no immediate explanation. The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. A compassionate, curious, and holistic approach to care; one that honours the lived experience of the patient, is crucial. Clinicians may not have to have all the answers, but they can acknowledge a patient's suffering and commit to supporting the patient in their quest for answers.

For those enduring this lonely battle of being unwell without answers, your experience matters.

Your body’s distress is real, whether or not it fits neatly into a diagnostic box. Until the system catches up with the complexity of the human body, what you deserve most is to be heard, supported, and taken seriously. Health involves more than just test results; it's also about your daily experience living in your body and how that affects your quality of life.

If this is something you’ve been affected by, please leave a comment below. If there’s something important you’d like to add, please do so. I'd love to hear from you.

If you liked this post or know someone who might find it useful, please share. You can also join my mailing list at www.ingelathuneboyle.com for regular blog notifications straight to your inbox! Please check out my other blog posts here.

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Dr. Ingela Thuné-Boyle is a licensed Practitioner Health Psychologist and a Doctor in Behavioural Medicine who specializes in improving the quality of life of people struggling with long-term health problems, chronic pain and trauma. She runs a private online (telehealth) practice at www.ingelathuneboyle.com. You can find out more about her background [here], and more about her approach to therapy [here].

📩 Contact: For therapy or other enquiries, you can contact her at info@ingelathuneboyle.com

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does a health psychologist do?

A health psychologist helps people cope with ongoing or unexplained physical symptoms, chronic illness, and pain. Using a mind–body approach, therapy supports you in understanding how stress, emotions, and life experiences can affect your health, and helps you build resilience, calm, and confidence in daily life.

Can therapy help if my symptoms don’t have a clear medical explanation?

Yes. Many people experience real, distressing symptoms that remain medically unexplained. Therapy offers understanding, validation, and emotional support. It helps reduce anxiety, ease the body’s stress response, and promote a greater sense of control and well-being.

Is online therapy effective for chronic or unexplained health problems?

Yes. Research shows that online therapy is as effective as in-person sessions. It’s especially helpful for people living with fatigue, pain, or mobility challenges, offering flexibility, comfort, and a safe space for mind–body healing.

How do I know if therapy is right for me?

If you’re struggling with unexplained symptoms, chronic illness, or health-related anxiety, therapy may help. A health psychologist can support you in understanding your body’s signals, processing frustration or fear, and developing tools for emotional and physical balance.

Please note: Advice given in this blog is not meant to take the place of therapy or any other professional advice. The opinions and views offered by the author is not intended to treat or diagnose, nor is it intended to replace the treatment and care that you may be receiving from a licensed physician or mental health provider. The author is not responsible for the outcome or results following their information and advice on this blog.