Episode Details
Back to EpisodesThe Mental healthcare system almost killed me, but I'm still here to tell the story. Sarah Trueb's Fight Against Medical Abuse
Description
What happens when the very system designed to heal you becomes the source of your deepest trauma? Sarah Trueb's life changed forever when, at just 39 years old, she suffered a stroke after years of medication mismanagement and medical dismissal. Once a successful massage therapist helping others heal, Sarah found herself fighting for her own survival against a healthcare system determined to label her physical symptoms as "all in her head."
Sarah's journey began with seeking help for PTSD following a family trauma. Instead of appropriate trauma care, she was immediately diagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed lithium—the first in a cascade of 33 different medications that would wreak havoc on her body and brain over the next several years. Despite showing clear signs of medication sensitivity and developing increasingly severe neurological symptoms, healthcare providers continued to view her through a purely psychiatric lens.
The most chilling aspect of Sarah's story is how her stroke warning signs—numbness, facial drooping, and slurred speech—were dismissed as "stress" or "anxiety" by medical staff. Even after suffering a stroke while under medical supervision, Sarah faced continued skepticism, being prematurely discharged from rehabilitation and labeled with "conversion disorder," a diagnosis suggesting her symptoms were psychologically rather than physically based.
Today, Sarah lives with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a complex condition affecting over 300,000 Americans that disrupts how the brain and body communicate. Her symptoms include chronic pain, seizures, vision problems, movement disorders, and more. Despite these debilitating physical symptoms, she continues to be accused of "faking" when seeking medical care.
Sarah's powerful testimony serves as a warning about the dangers of medical gaslighting and the deadly consequences of siloed healthcare thinking. Her advocacy for the TRUBE Act aims to create systemic change and prevent others from suffering a similar fate. This episode forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: sometimes the most dangerous place for a vulnerable patient is inside the very system meant to provide healing.
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