Dismissed by the Doctor? 3 Next Steps to Reclaim Your Health

You’ve sat across from your doctor, explained your symptoms—fatigue, hair loss, heavy periods, brain fog—and left with nothing but a referral, a prescription, or worse… a shrug. You’ve been told it’s anxiety, “just hormones,” or that your bloodwork looks normal. And yet, you don’t feel normal.

This is the reality for so many women who find themselves stuck in the grey zone of chronic symptoms: not “sick enough” for a diagnosis, but far from thriving. If that’s you, don’t give up. Your body is still talking—and here’s how to start listening.

Step 1: Trust Your Symptoms (Even If No One Else Does)

You don’t need a blood test to validate how tired you are. Or a scan to confirm your bloating isn’t in your head. Your lived experience is real. Symptoms are your body’s early warning system—not something to be dismissed or feared.

Pain, fatigue, irregular cycles, or gut issues aren’t the problem—they’re clues. And when conventional medicine can’t give you answers, it doesn’t mean there’s nothing wrong. It just means you might be asking the wrong system for the right kind of help.

“Your body isn’t betraying you—it’s trying to get your attention.”

Step 2: Find the Right Healthcare Allies

There’s nothing wrong with your doctor—they're working with the tools they’ve been trained in. But if those tools don’t include looking at subtle dysfunction, root causes, or preventative strategies, it might be time to widen your healthcare team.

Consider these options:

• Integrative or functional medicine GPs – who blend conventional and holistic care
  

• Naturopaths – trained to support gut health, hormones, immunity, and fatigue
  

• Therapists or psychotherapists – for emotional regulation and trauma-informed care
  

• Dietitians or nutritionists – to optimise what your body is actually absorbing
  

It’s okay to keep searching until someone really listens. You’re not “shopping around”—you’re advocating for yourself.

Step 3: Approach Your Health Holistically, Not Mechanically

Health isn’t just about the absence of disease—it’s about how you feel every day. You deserve to wake up with energy, have pain-free periods, move without restriction, and enjoy food without discomfort. That requires looking at your body as an interconnected system—not isolated symptoms.

Consider the “Four Fundamentals”:

• Nervous System – Is your body in chronic stress mode?
  

• Metabolism – Is your energy system sluggish or overloaded?
  

• Nutrients – Are you absorbing what you need to function?
  

• Blood Sugars – Are they balanced, or spiking and crashing?
  

When you align these systems, symptoms start to shift—and that’s when real healing begins.

🎧 Want to hear what this looks like in real life? In Episode 4 on the What's My Body Telling Me? podcast— “Why Am I So Tired? The Link Between Gut, Hormones & Energy,” Amna shares her raw and relatable journey through misdiagnosis, frustration, and finally, empowerment. Her story is proof that when you stop outsourcing your health and start tuning in, everything changes. Listen now on all major platforms.