In a world where strength is often measured by silence, Tamika Smith has chosen to raise her voice — not just for herself, but for women across the globe who’ve been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or outright ignored. A survivor of medical gaslighting, Endometriosis, and Lupus, Tamika’s story is not just one of survival — it’s one of powerful, purposeful advocacy.
Tamika’s journey through the medical system was harrowing and all too familiar for many Black women. From the very beginning, her pain was minimized. Her symptoms were labeled as “stress”, “anxiety”, or simply brushed off with the infamous, “It’s all in your head.” The dismissals were persistent — even as her body was crying out for help.
This experience is known as medical gaslighting — when a medical professional downplays or questions a patient’s symptoms, leading them to doubt their own experiences. For Black women, this practice isn’t rare — it’s routine.
“I knew something was wrong,” Tamika shares. “But every time I tried to speak up, I was told to calm down, to relax, or that it was probably just stress. It made me question myself. I started to wonder if maybe I was just being dramatic.”
But Tamika was not being dramatic — she was in pain. Excruciating, life-altering pain that stemmed from Endometriosis, a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, often causing severe pain and infertility. On top of that, she was later diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs and causes chronic fatigue, joint pain, and other debilitating symptoms.
Despite the odds, Tamika fought back — not just against the illnesses, but against a system that continually tried to invalidate her experience.
Today, she stands as a mother, survivor, and fierce advocate for women’s health. Through her Instagram platform @tamikad_smith, she openly shares her journey, educates others about chronic illnesses, and encourages women — especially Black women — to trust their bodies and demand better care.
“Black women are often expected to be strong, to endure. But that expectation is killing us,” Tamika says. “We deserve to be heard, to be believed, and to be treated with compassion.”
Her advocacy doesn’t stop at social media. Tamika recently released an eBook titled “The Most Toxic Relationship I Ever Had” — a raw and emotional narrative exploring the toxic relationship she had not just with another person, but with her own body and the medical system that betrayed her.
“This eBook was therapy for me,” she explains. “Writing it helped me process what I went through, and I hope it helps others feel less alone in their own battles.”
Tamika’s work has struck a chord with countless women who see themselves in her story — women who have been told to stop complaining, to tough it out, to smile through pain. Through her authenticity and unwavering commitment to change, she has become a beacon of hope and truth in a space that too often silences those who need the most care.
To the world, she is an advocate. To many, she is a lifeline.
And to herself, she is finally and rightfully — HEARD!
Images Courtesy of Tamika Smith.
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