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.
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.
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
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.