Most people assume that as we grow older, bullies begin to disappear from our lives. But research has shown that some bullies never put aside their cruel ways.
Instead, some bullies continue to intimidate, manipulate, and abuse people well into adulthood.After all, bullying works for them, so there is no motivation to change.
What’s more, adult bullies can be found in almost every area of life. Even the medical field is not immune to having bullies among its ranks.
This article covers the signs that your healthcare provider is bullying you. It also discusses how their bullying can affect you, and what you can do about it.
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How a Healthcare Provider’s Bullying Impacts You
Confrontational and abusive healthcare providers make appointments and procedures extremely unpleasant and sometimes even dangerous for their patients.
For instance, practitioners who bully often cause communication lapses between the rest of the healthcare team. This can lead to you receiving unnecessary treatments as well as even having surgeries that may not even be needed.
In fact, research has shown that healthcare providers who are bullies often discourage communication.This, in turn, has a negative effect on the quality of care you receive.
That same study also found that bullying behavior is prevalent in the healthcare system. In fact, 60 percent of clinicians said they have experienced verbal bullying. Meanwhile, 50 percent reported having to confront intimidating body language.
Consequently, bullied patients are often reluctant to share troubling symptoms or ask questions about their prescriptions.
Be Careful Not to Label Every Outburst Bullying
When it comes to dealing with patients, most healthcare providers go to great lengths to maintain a pleasant bedside manner. But sometimes it can be difficult to remain positive and upbeat.
For instance, it is no secret that healthcare providers are overworked especially during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. They are often tired and stressed, which can make them cranky and lead to less than desirable behavior.
Uncooperative patients also can try a medical professional’s patience, especially if the patient is not taking their professional advice seriously or following the agreed upon treatment plan. And patients whoself-diagnoseor believe they know more than the healthcare provider can put a strain on thedoctor-patient relationship.
But before you label your practitioner a bully, remember that bullying exists when there is a pattern to the behavior. In other words, if your healthcare provider has only been rude or short with you once, this is more likely an isolated incident and you can chalk it up to a bad day. Their mean behavior becomes bullying when you receive persistent insults, criticisms, and other actions that exert power and control over you.
Remember, the practitioner who is sometimes gruff is not truly a bully. They might be insensitive, seem overly rushed, get caught up in their own expertise or lack a patient-centered focus, but they do not always behave inappropriately. It is the healthcare providers that regularly display mean and controlling behavior that you have to worry about.
Signs Your Healthcare Provider Is a Bully
While it is counterintuitive to find a bully in a helping profession, bullies do exist in the medical field. Here are some red flags that your healthcare provider may be a bully:
Regardless of how skilled your healthcare provider is, if they exhibit these traits on a regular basis, it may be time tofind a new doctor. You deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and you should settle for nothing less.
Summary
A healthcare provider who seems short-tempered once is probably not a bully. However, they may be a bully if they regularly offend or demean you or other practitioners in their office.
Bullying can be physical, such as handling you roughly, or it can be emotional, such as being condescending and harmful to your mental health.Either way, a provider who bullies you can have a negative impact on the quality of your care and can even put you in danger.
A Word From Verywell
If you feel like your healthcare provider is a bully to you or to a loved one, do not ignore the situation. Doing so could compromise the quality of care you receive. Instead, try talking to the doctor about their abusive conduct or take the matter to a supervisor.
If standing up to the bully is not effective and they continue to intimidate you, it is time to find a new practitioner. If their behavior is severe, you may want to consider reporting their behavior to the state licensing board.Remember, just because your healthcare provider may be an expert in his field does not give them the right to bully you.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Effects of bullying.Matthews KA, Jennings JR, Lee L, Pardini DA.Bullying and being bullied in childhood are associated with different psychosocial risk factors for poor physical health in men.Psychol Sci. 2017 Jun;28(6):808-821. doi:10.1177/0956797617697700Grissinger M.Unresolved disrespectful behavior in health care: practitioners speak up (again)—part 1.Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2017;42(1):4-23.Talaee N, Varahram M, Jamaati H, Salimi A, Attarchi M, Kazempour Dizaji M, Sadr M, Hassani S, Farzanegan B, Monjazebi F, Seyedmehdi SM.Stress and burnout in health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic: validation of a questionnaire.Z Gesundh Wiss. 2022;30(3):531-536. doi:10.1007/s10389-020-01313-zLibrary of Congress.Amdt14.S1.6.5.1 Right to Refuse Medical Treatment and Substantive Due Process.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bullying.North Carolina Medical Board.Duty to report.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Effects of bullying.Matthews KA, Jennings JR, Lee L, Pardini DA.Bullying and being bullied in childhood are associated with different psychosocial risk factors for poor physical health in men.Psychol Sci. 2017 Jun;28(6):808-821. doi:10.1177/0956797617697700Grissinger M.Unresolved disrespectful behavior in health care: practitioners speak up (again)—part 1.Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2017;42(1):4-23.Talaee N, Varahram M, Jamaati H, Salimi A, Attarchi M, Kazempour Dizaji M, Sadr M, Hassani S, Farzanegan B, Monjazebi F, Seyedmehdi SM.Stress and burnout in health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic: validation of a questionnaire.Z Gesundh Wiss. 2022;30(3):531-536. doi:10.1007/s10389-020-01313-zLibrary of Congress.Amdt14.S1.6.5.1 Right to Refuse Medical Treatment and Substantive Due Process.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bullying.North Carolina Medical Board.Duty to report.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Effects of bullying.Matthews KA, Jennings JR, Lee L, Pardini DA.Bullying and being bullied in childhood are associated with different psychosocial risk factors for poor physical health in men.Psychol Sci. 2017 Jun;28(6):808-821. doi:10.1177/0956797617697700Grissinger M.Unresolved disrespectful behavior in health care: practitioners speak up (again)—part 1.Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2017;42(1):4-23.Talaee N, Varahram M, Jamaati H, Salimi A, Attarchi M, Kazempour Dizaji M, Sadr M, Hassani S, Farzanegan B, Monjazebi F, Seyedmehdi SM.Stress and burnout in health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic: validation of a questionnaire.Z Gesundh Wiss. 2022;30(3):531-536. doi:10.1007/s10389-020-01313-zLibrary of Congress.Amdt14.S1.6.5.1 Right to Refuse Medical Treatment and Substantive Due Process.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bullying.North Carolina Medical Board.Duty to report.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Effects of bullying.
Matthews KA, Jennings JR, Lee L, Pardini DA.Bullying and being bullied in childhood are associated with different psychosocial risk factors for poor physical health in men.Psychol Sci. 2017 Jun;28(6):808-821. doi:10.1177/0956797617697700
Grissinger M.Unresolved disrespectful behavior in health care: practitioners speak up (again)—part 1.Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2017;42(1):4-23.
Talaee N, Varahram M, Jamaati H, Salimi A, Attarchi M, Kazempour Dizaji M, Sadr M, Hassani S, Farzanegan B, Monjazebi F, Seyedmehdi SM.Stress and burnout in health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic: validation of a questionnaire.Z Gesundh Wiss. 2022;30(3):531-536. doi:10.1007/s10389-020-01313-z
Library of Congress.Amdt14.S1.6.5.1 Right to Refuse Medical Treatment and Substantive Due Process.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bullying.
North Carolina Medical Board.Duty to report.
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