The rise of invalidation in medicine

Drawing on clinical experience as a psychiatrist working with people living with complex chronic pain, this article explores the phenomenon of patient invalidation within healthcare encounters, and examines its emotional, relational and systemic consequences.Individuals with chronic pain frequently report dismissal, minimisation, or misattribution of their symptoms, experiences that may culminate in medical gaslighting.The article highlights how unintended invalidation erodes trust, undermines dignity and damages the therapeutic alliance.Drawing on Chochinov's dignity-conserving care framework, practical strategies for validation are outlined, emphasising presence, curiosity and empathic engagement as core clinical skills rather than optional extras.The article argues that restoring validation and human connection in healthcare is not only ethically imperative, but central to effective, compassionate medicine.