“Blame It On the Hormones”: 10 Ways Women’s Mental Health Is Ignored or Swept Under the Rug

Discussions about mental health are stigmatized compared to honest talks about physical health. As a result, women’s mental health matters are treated as taboo or ignored altogether. An online forum communicated women’s frustrations about some of the most overlooked concerns about their mental health.

People vastly underestimate how much women have to pretend to be happy to give the perception that they are pleasant and approachable, laments one online community member. Any indication that a woman is less than pleased, smiling, and cheerful equates to her being labeled mean or called something worse.

Far too often, women’s mental health struggles are treated as a question of them having a hormonal imbalance of some kind. This approach is dismissive and insulting to all women, especially those suffering from legitimate conditions related to a hormonal imbalance.

Countless women and girls with undiagnosed conditions, such as autism, attention deficit, and hyperactivity disorder, “have learned how to mask to appease societal norms,” states another forum member.

An ignored truth that annoys one commenter is “Brown, Black, and Asian women also suffer from mental issues. It’s not just because we are ‘spicy,’ ‘angry,’ or stressed from studying.” Well said.

An individual on the forum spent the better part of two decades trying to convince doctors her condition was more than depression and that they shouldn’t just send her home with a bottle of antidepressants.

Only recently have they found a physician that takes their concerns seriously and acts accordingly. Being treated as if you don’t know what you’re talking about is an experience no one should endure.

For women, crying is a double-edged sword, according to someone on the thread. Women are expected to cry, and it’s socially acceptable for them to cry. Still, when they do, they’re labeled as irrational, hysterical, or accused of using it to gain sympathy.

One contributor says being a single mother takes a toll on one’s mental well-being. Two-parent households find it challenging to manage all of their familial responsibilities. Imagine how difficult it is when only one adult has to shoulder all the work alone.

Another fallacy that needs debunking is the idea that women have an easier time getting treated for mental health problems. Far too often, says one person on the thread, women are told they are either overreacting, hormonal, or seeking attention.

Expressing the need for something directly affecting women’s mental health isn’t unreasonable or excessive, asserts a participant on the forum. Suppressing or ignoring those needs for the sake of getting along or appeasing others can cause actual harm to women’s mental health.

One user on the forum describes the pressure women are constantly under “to be the leader, the planner, the organizer, the thinker,” continuing with, “Yes, men are coming around and stepping up, and social norms are breaking.

But it’s still a common trope I see: the woman must not only do most things but also be aware of everything.” The pressure to be everything to everyone at all times wears on women’s mental health significantly over time.

The stigma around mental health and women’s mental health, in particular, must be set aside to allow for honest, frank discussions between individuals and their mental health care providers. Improvements to the access and delivery of mental health care services serve to benefit everyone. It’s time for a change.

This thread inspired this post.

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