The Globe and Mail interviews psychiatrist Julie Holland about her new book, Moody Bitches: The Truth About the Drugs Youâre Taking, the Sleep Youâre Missing, the Sex Youâre Not Having and Whatâs Really Making You Crazy.
“Holland argues that women arenât meant to be stoic and static. She says the characteristics for which women are often accused of being ‘hysterical’ are not only natural, theyâre essential to womenâs physical, emotional and mental well-being,” reports the Globe. “Too often, however, women turn to psychiatric drugs to achieve emotional stability, even when medication is not clinically needed, Holland says. According to an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development report, Canada had the third-highest level of consumption of antidepressants in 2011 among 23 member countries, not including the United States.”
In a separate interview with World Science Festival, Holland says, “One thing is: you really need to feel your feelings instead of trying to push them down or away. We spend a lot of time being toldâand feelingâthat itâs not good to be sad, itâs not good to scared, itâs not good to be angry, so weâre trying not to feel these things. That repression requires tremendous amount of energy. One of the reasons people are so sad and anxious is because theyâre pushing down what they feel when the easiest thing is to give into the feeling, to be real about what youâre feeling and conveying it to other people: not saying ‘yes’ when you mean ‘no,’ or saying itâs not a problem when it is.”
Why moody women would be better off not suppressing their feelings (Globe and Mail, March 24, 2015)
Smart Reads: Julie Hollandâs âMoody Bitchesâ (World Science Festival, March 10, 2015)
