This is an eye-opening essay! Thank you for sharing the "Hostage Bargaining Syndrome" language with all your readers. I totally identify with this and have lamented to my husband before how frustrating and helpless those of us without any medical/science/healthcare background feel when we seek treatment for ourselves or our kids.

We are expected to put so much faith into these people, some of whom we've never met and know nothing about other than a brief website bio. I think it's worse when it's an urgent referral to a specialist, as then I usually haven't even had the time to read bios and figure out who I want.

Great tips, Caitlin!