The official diagnosis for anyone presenting with something a physician doesn't know about, doesn't understand, or that cannot be treated is 'Nothing Wrong' disease. This is one of the most common diseases treated in my practice. The Nothing Wrong Disease, is an intensely frustrating condition. The patient has symptoms that limit them in some way. They see the appropriate professional for the situation. Maybe lab work is done. Maybe just a history. Perhaps a physical exam. But in the end you do not say and do the right things to fit into one of the diagnosis boxes that your practitioner knows about.... So you are diagnosed with the dreaded Nothing Wrong and moved along.
I could write a book on this because the majority of my patients have had this experience. I was fortunate enough to encounter this myself .... A compassion building exercise all physicians should experience to fully understand how totally disempowering and frustrating it is. But, there IS a remedy for this. Educate yourself on what is reasonable to expect from a physician and be a better consumer. There are good and bad doctors out there. Some physicians will be a better match for you than others. Here are some tips on finding Dr. Right.
1. Remember you are the expert on your condition, you are paying to get help, you have the right to find someone who treats people instead of just identifying diseases. People are unique. If you have been told nothing is wrong by several practitioners, you may just have an atypical presentation of something common or a combination of conditions that make a confusing mix of symptoms. Remember that Medical Education trains doctors to piece together puzzles, make a diagnostic call, and connect that to drugs or therapy. But most physicians are not trained to really think. Find someone who sees you, talks to you, and has not forgotten how to think.
2. The Doctor is always right, meaning you - by default, are always wrong. This bias that physicians are experts and know everything is not necessarily the case and don't buy into it. Ego is often a significant contributing factor to being diagnosed with 'Nothing Wrong'. You are the expert on your condition, a physician who does not recognize that and bases his assumptions on lab work or his limited knowledge alone while you have clear symptoms often misses the boat completely.
3. Repeat offenders. If you make the circuit, moving from doctor to doctor looking for answers, your chart may follow you and bias every doctor you see. If the first doctor diagnoses you with Nothing Wrong then you are a malingerer, mentally unstable, depressed, or a hypochondriac. Reading this prior to seeing you biases subsequent practitioners who also add notes, adding credibility to the idea that nothing is wrong and repeating your list of 'issues'. If you are seeking a second opinion, don't let a doctor who doesn't believe you refer you on... Get an unbiased second opinion and don't share chart information so you know your record is not affecting the ability of others to see the situation with fresh eyes.
4. Don't be afraid to travel or seek care from far afield. Today physicians can easily communicate with patients all over the world. If you can't get care in your own community, look around, travel somewhere else.... Thinking physicians often have practices that people travel long distances to access.
5. Remember that our current medical paradigm is all about symptom suppression. We don't make people better. We keep them sick and make them comfortable by covering up problems with long term drug therapy. This insures repeat business, requires ongoing monitoring, and basically creates dependence on a physician to maintain 'health'. Many people who have 'Nothing Wrong' actually are seeking something conventional medicine does not offer - genuine healing. Solving a problem instead of suppressing it with medications. This is not part of the training of a conventional physician, so seek qualified alternative providers who understand the concept of restoring health.
