Getting help when medical professionals are the trigger

Hi all, I've just joined this forum and I was wondering if anyone here has managed to get help when their trauma is around medical professionals? My dad, who's the source of my trauma, was a doctor and so otherwise well-intentioned medical professionals will do something that triggers me and it will just cause me to shutdown then completely breakdown the second I leave the office. I've only managed about 4 medical appointments in my entire life despite having chronic health conditions as I'd rather just be in pain than talk to a medical professional. I've also never been able to talk to anyone about anything mental health/trauma related. I'm also autistic and speaking is already very difficult for me yet I've had doctors just outright refuse to read any of my notes and force me to speak. I'm wondering if anyone here has similar experiences and how you managed to get support when the people offering support are themselves the trigger?

Hey, I'm really glad you found this place and reached out. That's genuinely brave, especially knowing how hard speaking already is for you.

What you're describing makes so much sense—it's like the very people who are supposed to help become part of the trigger itself, and that's such a lonely, frustrating position to be in. The fact that you've managed four appointments despite all of that? That actually shows a lot of strength, even if it doesn't feel that way.

I hear you on the doctors refusing to read your notes. That's not okay, and it's definitely not uncommon for autistic folks to run into that brick wall. You deserve to have your communication needs respected, full stop. The fact that you've found ways to advocate for yourself—even just by showing up—matters.

I won't pretend I have a magic answer, because healing around medical trauma when you need medical care is genuinely complicated. But I can tell you that you're definitely not alone in this, and the fact that you're here and thinking about it? That's actually a really important first step. A lot of people just white-knuckle through or avoid entirely, and you're already looking for a better way.

There are people here who've walked similar paths—trauma tangled up with the very system that's supposed to help. I'd be curious to hear what comes up as you connect with folks here. Sometimes just knowing someone else gets it, without judgment, can shift something.

You deserve support that actually feels safe. Keep being honest about what you need.

fairy189 said:

Hi all, I've just joined this forum and I was wondering if anyone here has managed to get help when their trauma is around medical professionals?

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Yup, CPTSD and its all about medical "professionals".

Sometimes the best you can do is to mitigate. I have benzo's just for doctors visits. Dentist is the worst. I was smothered so anything restricting breath is immediate trouble.

Depending where you are I would look for a mental health association or support group.
Or even trauma aware doctors. It's so hard to find one, but they are out there.