The Impact of Mistrust on Health

Why Mistrust of the Healthcare System Isn’t Just a Personal Issue

Healthcare is supposed to be a place of support, healing, and care. But for many neurodivergent, disabled, and multiply marginalized people, it’s anything but that. Instead, it can feel like a system built to control, dismiss, and deny.

For too long, healthcare has been shaped by biases, including racism, ableism, and neuronormativity. These aren’t just individual attitudes—they’re deeply embedded in the very structure of medical care. And when you’re on the receiving end of this, it doesn’t just erode your trust in doctors or institutions. It erodes your trust in other people. It erodes your trust in yourself.

The Ripple Effect of Healthcare Mistrust

Mistrust isn’t just a feeling—it’s a physiological reality. When people feel unsafe, their bodies respond. Their nervous systems activate stress responses, making chronic conditions worse, increasing inflammation, and amplifying pain. Over time, this leads to poorer health outcomes.

For many of our community members, this mistrust shows up in ways like:

• Avoiding medical care even when it’s needed, for fear of being disrespected or harmed.
• Masking symptoms to avoid being dismissed or misunderstood.
• Self-doubt about their own health needs, second-guessing their instincts because they’ve been gaslit by professionals.

Building a New Model

At All Brains Belong, we’re working to dismantle this cycle. We believe that healthcare should be co-created with the people it serves. It should center on listening, learning, and doing better together. We ask people what they need, and then we work with them to build those solutions.

We see the impact of this every day. Patients who once felt alienated and unsafe are now building friendships, supporting each other, and creating safety together.

Moving from Mistrust to Belonging

This isn’t just about fixing the broken parts of the current system. It’s about building something entirely new. A place where people don’t just survive—they belong, connect, and thrive.

Want to hear more? Join us at Brain Club, where we’re having these conversations every week. Tickets are by donation: allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club