Why are so many women I'm meeting having mental health issues?

[Anonymous]

People live very stressful anxiety provoking lives. Over time their brains get into an unhealthy pattern and it is much easier to take meds to get by than to make the necessary life changes to reduce the stress and live healthy lives.

Some people have an anxiety disorder or major depression that would be present no matter what life they lives but many have anxiety disorders or depression that comes from years of living and working at a mentally unhealthy pace with mentally unhealthy stressors in mentally unhealthy environments. Your mental health can only be poor for so long before that becomes your norm and your norm is disordered.

Just like your body, if you don't keep your mind healthy it gets worn down and can get unwell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Women are smart enough to get help.

Men just hide it.

Because society crucifies men who show any weakness.

I have noted how Alan Alda, Terry Crews, and Michael J Fox have been absolutely pilloried.

These are celebrities.

[Anonymous]

The DC area is an anxiety provoking, difficult place to live, even more so for women at times (crime, street harassment.) It's the only place I've ever lived where I've had to resort to anti anxiety meds and antidepressants to help, over and above all the self care and meditation I do to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a mid-40s guy who's been divorced for a year. I enjoy dating but not looking for anything serious. Most of the women I've met have just been casual dates but what stands out for me is that so many of them reveal that they're one of the three: bipolar, depressed, or anxious. And I mean clinically diagnosed and been prescribed meds and all that. These are women in their thirties and also forties. It's just so common it blows my mind. Needless to say, I haven't felt comfortable going forward with many of these women I've met. Just too much for me to process. I have plenty of guy friends who also mention that their wives or girlfriends are seeking therapy or taking meds to cope with some mental health diagnosis. But no guy I know has ever mentioned being depressed or anxious. I'm not saying these conditions don't ever affect men, but it just seems so common among women. Any ideas why? I'd like to meet someone eventually who won't go crazy on me.

So most of the one without mental health issue have married by now or are in long term relationships. This is true with men and women at your age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have nothing against women (or men) who are open about anxiety and depression. I just don’t like the modern tendency to make themselves into the victims of every situation and of society, in general.

I this this trend really got going with social media, and now it’s infiltrated traditional media.

Is this also going on with respect to, say, stomach ailments. Or is it just mental disease that makes you skeptical?

PP here.

I am not at all skeptical of these ailments. If someone has anxiety or depression, I don’t question that. Honestly, I respect someone who recognizes that the have an issue and seeks medical help.

What concerns me is the modern trend toward recriminations and projections and general attitude of “I am an aggreived victim” and blaming others for their mental lot in life. It’s almost like a modern passive aggressive form of bullying. The don’t punch you. They just go on Instagram and subtly undermine other people’s reputations while feigning innocence.

[Anonymous]

OP I assume you're in the US? Because what you're describing is not the norm in other countries. I'm an expat in Asia so I know. Heaven forbid if someone at work starts talking about being anxious or depressed. It's life, just deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I assume you're in the US? Because what you're describing is not the norm in other countries. I'm an expat in Asia so I know. Heaven forbid if someone at work starts talking about being anxious or depressed. It's life, just deal with it.

So maybe this thread should be titled "Why are so many American women crazy?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Life is harder for women than for men. Work is harder because women are less respected. Women do more housework and child care. Women treat their partners on average better than men treat theirs. Women are more likely to be raped. Women have many more reasons to be depressed and anxious.

Anxiety is highly heritable. Women have anxiety and depression at twice the rate of men, and it is biological. If you think about it from an evolutionary perspective, women need to be more hyper vigilant. Men are more biologically disposable and need to take more risks.

[Anonymous]

31 year old woman here..

I grew up very anxious. At 25, I had as close to a breakdown as I ever want to get. I went to therapy for two years (every two weeks), turned down medication, but made an effort to change my lifestyle and thought process.

My anxiety helps me in a lot of ways - it pushes me to do better, but it’s a balancing act. If I am not taking care of myself, it can get the better of me.

I am not really sure how this is different than knowing you are a mean drunk (and therefore don’t drink), you have intolerances to certain foods, etc. Knowing just helps you make better choices and hopefully leads to a happier life.

If someone has an issue with me trying to better myself and seeking help, that’s on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Life is harder for women than for men. Work is harder because women are less respected. Women do more housework and child care. Women treat their partners on average better than men treat theirs. Women are more likely to be raped. Women have many more reasons to be depressed and anxious.

Or

Men are less likely to self-report their personal trials and tribulations, let alone write endless columns and books about them, because men are expected to be stoic and not burden the herd. As a result, men often haven’t developed the self-reflective language skills to be able to articulate their internal world, which affects them regardless. This creates a perception among the dim that men have it easy.

[Anonymous]

According to all of the women on this site all of their husbands have ADHD or something similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to all of the women on this site all of their husbands have ADHD or something similar.

I have ADHD not my DH - he has PTSD. I think people are more aware of these issues nowadays. In the old days, people would self medicate through alcohol and/or drugs. Kids with ADHD would just be deemed incorrigible and dumb. As long as people are aware and getting treatment, it's a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Well so many women have been assaulted, harassed, raped and told they were liars and/or sluts and not to ruin the lives of the perpetrator so they instead internalize, medicate, seek therapy etc., it's a wonder anyone is sane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Women are smart enough to get help.

Men just hide it.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Life is harder for women than for men. Work is harder because women are less respected. Women do more housework and child care. Women treat their partners on average better than men treat theirs. Women are more likely to be raped. Women have many more reasons to be depressed and anxious.

+1000