Fighting health battles in an authoritarian regime Written by April Shehorn

How to maintain your sanity

When you live with multiple diseases or experience unexpected health deterioration, you may feel like you are trapped in a maze with no way out. Add to this the reality of an authoritarian health care system that silences patients, withholds answers, or leaves you to bear the burden alone and the struggle becomes more than just physical. It becomes a battle for your dignity and your voice.

I’ve learned that overcoming illness in these types of systems requires not only endurance, but also strategy. You can’t wait for the system to bring you justice, you have to demand your place in it.

The tyrant in health care

Authoritarianism in health care doesn’t always look like yelling or cruelty. Sometimes it looks like missed calls, doctors not reading your records, or specialists in separate networks who refuse to communicate with each other. It’s as if you’re being told “no more tests” while your body is crying out for help.

This makes patients feel helpless, invisible, and often hopeless. But when you know your body better, you become your loudest advocate.

Staying organized when it’s not

One way to fight is through organization. Keeping your own records, notes, and schedules can make a big difference, especially when different departments are not communicating.

* **Create your health file.** Keep copies of test results, hospital discharge papers, prescriptions, and imaging reports. Don’t rely on one hospital portal.
• Create a master schedule. Write down each diagnosis, flare, test, and symptom pattern. This creates a bigger picture that even separate doctors cannot deny.
• Download summaries. Make a one-page summary of your health history to bring with you to appointments. Hand it to doctors, it forces them to see you as a whole person, not just a number in their system.
• Use digital tools. A simple spreadsheet or app can help you track symptoms, medications, and effects throughout your body.

By staying organized, you can control the narrative the system tries to have.

Maintain your sanity when you feel small

It’s exhausting to be ignored by the people you depend on for survival. To maintain your sanity:

• Validate your knowledge. Remind yourself daily: *I know my body better than anyone else.* This truth keeps you grounded.
• Find allies. Even one nurse, one specialist, or an advocate in your circle can make the journey less lonely.
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• Give yourself permission to rest. The constant fight with the system is draining. It’s okay to stop, breathe, and regain strength.

• Hold on to hope. The system may not always listen, but your persistence plants the seed. Every document you keep, every story you tell, every moment you refuse to be silent – this matters.

The bigger picture: Seeing yourself beyond the disease

Illness does not determine your worth. The system may treat you as a burden, but you are more than just a patient, you are a whole person. Holding onto this truth helps you rise above helplessness.

Your story, your resilience, and your courage to keep searching for answers, it all becomes part of the bigger picture. Even when the regime feels tyrannical, your persistence breaks its grip.

Living with multiple diseases or sudden health deterioration under an authoritarian regime is one of the toughest battles a person can face. But you are not helpless. By staying organized, advocating for yourself, and protecting your mind and spirit, you remind the system that you are more than just a planner—you are a human being whose life matters.

Ultimately, tyrants – whether in politics or in hospitals – cannot silence the truth forever. And your truth, your voice, your fight for dignity, is worth everything.