The Weight of Being Dismissed

“She sat in the doctor’s office, fingers gripping the edge of the chair, hoping—no, praying—for answers. The fatigue had become unbearable. The hair on her pillow in the morning made her stomach twist. Her periods came and went like an unreliable guest, leaving behind unbearable cramps and hormonal chaos.

"Doctor, I feel exhausted all the time. I can barely focus at work, and I don’t understand why my weight keeps fluctuating despite eating healthy."

The doctor barely looked up from his notepad. “You need to lose some weight. Have you tried cutting out rice?”

That was it. A single sentence. A casual dismissal of everything she had been feeling for months—maybe even years. No tests, no further questions, just another assumption that her struggles were self-inflicted.

She wanted to scream, to make him understand that she wasn’t lazy, that she wasn’t just eating wrong. But instead, she forced a nod, took the prescription, and walked out.”

That moment in the doctor’s office? It wasn’t the first time she had felt unheard, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

She had tried explaining her struggles before. To friends, to family, to colleagues. Each time, the responses were different, yet painfully similar.

1. The Silent Resignation

She could do what many others did—stay silent. Accept the dismissal. Tell herself that maybe they were right. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she did need to try harder.

So, she would continue waking up exhausted. She would continue watching her hair thin. She would continue feeling out of control in her own body, waiting for the day someone might finally believe her.

2. The Defensive Justification

Or she could fight back. She could explain, in detail, about PCOS affecting insulin resistance, how thyroid imbalances slow metabolism, how hormonal disorders are not just about weight.

She could pull up research articles, quote specialists, demand better tests. But would they listen? Or would they dismiss her as “too dramatic” or “too sensitive”?

"It’s just stress. Maybe you need to relax."

No matter how much she explained, the burden of proof was always on her. And even when she proved it, the empathy was still missing.

3. The Quiet Search for Someone Who Listens

She could seek another doctor. And another. And another. Until she found someone who didn’t see her struggles as just a weight problem.

She could build her own support system—other women who understood what it was like to be dismissed, to be told their pain was normal, to be sent home with vague solutions instead of real help.

She could find someone who actually listened. Someone who said: "I hear you. Let’s figure this out together."

How Should a Woman Be Treated When She Seeks Help?

No woman deserves to be dismissed when she speaks about her own body. When she says she is tired, she should be met with concern, not skepticism. When she talks about her struggles, she should receive support, not unsolicited advice.

Doctors should run tests before making assumptions. Families should listen instead of brushing things off. Workplaces should acknowledge that chronic fatigue is real.

Most importantly, women should not have to fight for their pain to be acknowledged.

Because when a woman says, "Something is wrong with me," she is not looking for opinions.

She is looking for help.

So, the question still  remains—when will the world start listening?