Do You Relate to Kate Middleton’s Struggle to Keep a Medical Issue Private?

“Patients often decide to keep their diagnoses or medical issues private because they want to avoid uncomfortable discussions or they’re quite private in general,” says Emily Moore, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Stanford Health Care Pain Management Center in Redwood City, California, and an instructor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

If you disclose a medical condition and it’s met with bad advice or a lack of understanding, it can be extremely invalidating, Dr. Moore says. You might also choose not to share because you don’t want your relationships to revolve around your health status.

“When others know our medical diagnoses, they have a tendency to repeatedly ask about them, which brings them to the forefront of social interactions,” Moore says. While some people might appreciate this, others might feel it puts them in a negative headspace and reinforces their sense of identity as a “sick person.”

The stigma and discrimination associated with certain health conditions is another huge reason why you might not disclose a diagnosis, says Paul Daidone, MD, a double board-certified internal medicine and addiction medicine physician and the medical director at True Self Recovery in Rogers, Arkansas.

All types of stigma — experienced from others, anticipated from others, and internalized within those with the illnesses — were associated with increased preoccupation with one’s illness and a greater impact of the illness on the person’s identity, according to the data.

“Professional concerns, such as worries about potential impacts on one’s career or job security, can also motivate someone to maintain privacy regarding their medical conditions,” Dr. Daidone adds.

Keeping a diagnosis private can also give you a sense of control over the narrative around your health, and might reduce stress and anxiety by limiting stigma, discrimination, and negative reactions from others, he says.