In the landscape of modern medicine, patients are frequently lauded for their "resilience"—a term often deployed by clinicians as a badge of honor for those navigating chronic health conditions or the aftermath of medical complications. However, for many living with long-term, complex, and trauma-inducing medical histories, this label feels less like a compliment and more like a heavy, involuntary burden.
In a poignant and deeply personal exploration of this dynamic, author and advocate Jen Jungenberg challenges the cultural obsession with resilience. Her recent work, a searing reflection on the intersection of trauma, medical intervention, and the human spirit, invites us to reconsider the narrative we force upon patients. Rather than "resilience," Jungenberg suggests a different, more nuanced terminology: persistence, grit, and the raw reality of being fundamentally altered by the healthcare system.
The Anatomy of Medical Trauma
The concept of "resilience" often implies a return to one’s original state—a rubber band that snaps back into its original shape after being stretched. Jungenberg’s testimony argues that this is a dangerous misconception. Chronic illness and the accompanying medical trauma do not leave the patient unchanged; they leave the patient "altered."
"I spring back, but not to my original shape," Jungenberg writes. "Taking on a new form, visible tears in my cape."
This transformation is not a sign of failure, but a biological and psychological response to sustained, intense pressure. For the chronic patient, the "fight or flight" response is not a temporary state but a lived reality. When the medical environment itself becomes a site of potential trauma—due to misdiagnoses, rare complications, or the feeling of being unheard—the body enters a state of hyper-vigilance.
Chronology of a "Professional Patient"
For many in the chronic illness community, the journey through the healthcare system is a multi-stage process of attrition.
- Initial Diagnosis: The onset of symptoms, often accompanied by the hope that medical intervention will provide a clear path to wellness.
- The "Good Patient" Phase: The period in which the patient follows all medical advice, trusting the system’s expertise and assuming that adherence to treatment protocols will lead to improvement.
- The Turning Point: The moment where "unintentional consequences" or "rare complications" occur. The patient realizes that the treatment itself—or the system’s handling of it—has become a source of secondary trauma.
- The Crisis of Trust: A shift in the patient-provider relationship. The patient, now aware of potential harm, begins to view clinical interactions with suspicion. They begin to "scan the room," looking for signs that they will be dismissed, blamed, or gaslit.
- The Integration: The patient adopts protective measures, such as "masking" their internal terror to appear "composed" for clinicians, while internally suffering from the emotional and physical toll of their history.
The Data of Disparity: When the System Fails
While Jungenberg’s account is personal, it reflects broader systemic issues highlighted by patient advocacy groups. Data regarding medical gaslighting and the neglect of chronic pain patients suggests that "resilience" is often used as a tool to shift the burden of system failures onto the individual.
- Communication Gaps: Studies indicate that patients with "invisible" or complex chronic illnesses report significantly lower satisfaction scores with their primary care providers. This is often attributed to "rushed attention" and a lack of presence during consultations.
- The "Difficult Patient" Bias: There is a documented clinical bias against patients who present with atypical symptoms or who have had poor outcomes with previous interventions. This often leads to a cycle where the patient feels forced to "steer" the interaction, practicing responses to ensure they are heard.
- The Psychological Toll: The trauma of medical environments manifests in physical symptoms—shaking, sweating, and dissociation—which are frequently misread by providers as anxiety or mental health issues rather than a somatic reaction to the medical setting.
Official Responses and the Changing Clinical Landscape
In response to the growing awareness of medical trauma, some medical institutions are beginning to integrate "Trauma-Informed Care" (TIC) into their standard practices. TIC acknowledges that a patient’s medical history may include significant past trauma, and that the clinical setting itself can trigger these memories.
Medical boards and advocacy organizations are increasingly emphasizing:
- Active Listening Protocols: Training providers to move away from "rushed" consultations and toward a model that validates the patient’s lived experience.
- Shared Decision-Making: Moving away from the paternalistic "doctor knows best" model toward a collaborative partnership, which helps restore the agency that many chronically ill patients feel they have lost.
- Validation of Atypical Outcomes: Acknowledging that "rare complications" are real and that the patient’s report of these complications is not a reflection of their psychological state, but a matter of medical record.
The Implications of "Grit" vs. "Resilience"
The distinction Jungenberg draws between resilience and grit is profound. Resilience suggests a passive "bending" until the storm passes. Grit, however, is an active, ongoing "unwillingness to quit."
The implications for the medical community are clear: If the healthcare system continues to demand that patients be "resilient," it ignores the trauma that the system itself may be inflicting. By reframing the patient experience through the lens of "persistence," we acknowledge the immense, exhausting, and daily effort required to navigate a life of chronic illness.
The Cost of Survival
When a patient says, "I am not superhuman," it is a call for a more humane medical standard. The current system often relies on the patient’s ability to "mask" their fear, swallow their pain, and remain "externally composed" to be taken seriously. This masking comes at a high price: the loss of inner wisdom and the erosion of the patient’s ability to trust their own body.
A New Narrative
As we move forward, the goal of medical care should not be to build a "resilient" patient who can withstand anything, but to create a supportive environment where the patient does not need to be a warrior to receive basic empathy.
For Jen Jungenberg and the millions of others navigating the "fog" of chronic illness, the path forward is not about returning to the past or "rewinding" the damage. As she poignantly concludes, "The past has been written, and the only way forward is through."
The medical establishment must now decide whether to stand as an obstacle or a partner on that journey. If the goal is truly wellness, it must begin with the acknowledgement that for many patients, the most heroic act is not to "bounce back," but simply to continue, to persist, and to keep turning the page.
This article is inspired by the reflections of Jen Jungenberg, April 2026. Her work serves as a reminder that behind every clinical diagnosis and every medical chart, there is a person fighting for their right to be heard, believed, and treated with dignity.
