By: Liv Walker

For decades, women have been told that their pain is exaggerated, their symptoms emotional, and their suffering blamed on “normal aging, menopause, hormones, even motherhood.” But a growing body of research—and the lived experiences of thousands—reveal an epidemic of women who are underserved by the medical system. 

In her new book, Seen At Last: Uncovering Women’s Misdiagnoses & Reclaiming Health, functional and regenerative medicine expert Dr. Debra Muth issues a wake-up call to women everywhere: you are not imagining it, you are not being dramatic, and your symptoms are not “just stress.”  You’ve been medically misunderstood—and you’re far from alone.

A Personal Struggle That Became a Calling

The inspiration for the book began with Muth’s own daunting experience inside a system she spent over 25 years working in.

“It was my own debilitating experience with years of chronic illness that first opened my eyes to how dysfunctional the system can be when it comes to recognizing and treating underlying causes. After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) off just one MRI, I knew something was wrong, but I knew the conventional medical system wasn’t going to help me find the root cause of my health issues. Instead of getting the help I needed, I spent thousands of dollars and 18 months of my own time and money to heal myself—not to get diagnosed. 

In the end she found that her symptoms were traced to Lyme disease, mold exposure, and heavy metal toxicity not MS.

“I wasn’t the only one going through this. Every week, I had patients coming into my office with undiagnosed chronic conditions—women who had been told they were just stressed, tired, or that their symptoms were ‘normal’ for their age. Many of these women were suffering from complex issues like toxicity, autoimmune diseases, and hormonal imbalances, which conventional medicine had failed to detect or properly treat. That’s when I decided I had to share my story and make it clear that these women’s experiences were valid, their symptoms real, and their struggles worthy of attention.”

The Startling Truth About Women and Misdiagnosis

Through her research and experience at Serenity Health Care Center, Dr. Muth’s notes staggering patterns:

• Women wait 4–7 years longer than men for accurate diagnoses.
• They are seven times more likely to be misdiagnosed during heart attacks.
• Most women with autoimmune or neurological conditions see five or more doctors before receiving answers.
• Conditions like MS, chronic fatigue, or fibromyalgia are often misdiagnosed when the true causes—hidden infections, mold toxicity, heavy metals, or hormonal imbalances—go completely untested.

Why Women’s Health Keeps Getting Missed

One of the core messages of Seen At Last: Uncovering Women’s Misdiagnoses & Reclaiming Health is that women’s health wasn’t overlooked by accident—it was never prioritized to begin with.

“Modern medicine was built on male physiology. Unfortunately, women have always been an afterthought in clinical research,” she explains.

What’s more, she points out that medical schools limit focus areas to:

• Less than 20 hours of nutrition training
• Almost zero education in environmental medicine
• No instruction in gut-brain science
• No functional lab interpretation
• And diagnostic criteria designed around male symptoms

Dr. Muth says to make matters worse, over 80% of continuing medical education is funded by pharmaceutical companies—meaning doctors are trained to prescribe, not investigate.

“We’re teaching doctors to follow protocols, not to think critically,” she says. “Often women don’t fit into those protocols. So they get ignored.”

And when you add race into the equation, the disparities widen dramatically. Women of color—particularly Black, Latina, and Indigenous women—are even more likely to have their pain minimized by medical professionals. 

How Women Can Advocate for Themselves—Starting Now

Dr. Muth believes patients must become their own health investigators and advocates. Her book outlines practical tools every woman can use immediately:

• Symptom journals to reveal patterns doctors often overlook
• Organized medical records to track labs, imaging, and medication history
• Structured appointment summaries so doctors address real concerns
• Questions that shift the power dynamic, such as:
  • “What could be causing these symptoms beyond the diagnosis?”
  • “How might my environment or history be influencing this?”
  • “What specialists could offer additional insights?”

And most importantly, trust your inner knowing. If you feel unheard, find a provider who listens and values your opinion, she says.

Changing a broken system won’t happen overnight, but some reforms Dr. Muth pushes for include:

• Independent research funding—not controlled by pharmaceutical interests
• Clinical trials that treat women as distinct cohorts, not “small men”
• Long-term studies that reflect how chronic illness unfolds over years
• Inclusion of functional medicine practitioners who understand root-cause healing

“We need to study what actually works,” she says. “Women are healing every day using therapies that mainstream medicine ignores.”

 Seen At Last: Uncovering Women’s Misdiagnoses & Reclaiming Health will be released in early 2026.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any medical concerns or questions.