Daneka Etchells experienced severe menstrual symptoms beginning at age 12, including heavy periods and excruciating pain. Despite multiple visits to her general practitioner, she received limited treatment and was prescribed oral contraceptives without further investigation. Over the following years, her condition progressively worsened without a diagnosis, a period she describes as involving medical gaslighting—when healthcare providers dismiss or invalidate patient concerns.
After 17 years, Etchells was finally diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition affecting one in 10 women. By that time, the disease had grown extensively on nerves and ligaments connected to her legs. Although surgical removal of the lesions was eventually performed through private treatment she funded herself, the delay resulted in permanent nerve damage and ongoing mobility challenges. Etchells now uses a mobility aid and experiences constant pain. A breakthrough came when she was evaluated by a female general practitioner who referred her to a gynaecologist and prescribed medication. On average, endometriosis diagnoses take nine years; Etchells’ extended timeline was partly attributed to her neurodivergent status.
Etchells is performing in a newly adapted stage version of The Secret Garden, a production also led by playwright Tom Wentworth, who has experienced similar medical dismissal. In Wentworth’s reimagining, the protagonist Colin is no longer miraculously cured but instead learns to advocate for himself and be heard by those around him. Wentworth, who identifies as queer and disabled, has faced healthcare providers attributing his symptoms to cerebral palsy rather than conducting proper diagnostic evaluation.
Healthwatch England reports that medical gaslighting disproportionately affects young people, women, and LGBTQ individuals, noting it is particularly common with conditions such as ADHD and endometriosis. The organization has called for reforms to expedite NHS complaints resolution. The Department of Health and Social Care stated that its Women’s Health Strategy recognizes medical gaslighting as a barrier and commits to ensuring respectful, high-quality care for all patients, including disabled individuals.
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