Have you ever left a doctor’s appointment feeling smaller than when you walked in? Maybe you cried in your car. Maybe you replayed the conversation all evening. Maybe you rewrote your symptoms in your phone, trying to sound clearer — calmer — more convincing next time. If that’s happened to you, you’re not alone. In my Los Angeles therapy practice, I sit with many adults navigating chronic illness, invisible conditions, and healthcare anxiety. One sentence I hear again and ag