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Why is Mental Illness Among Women Seen as a Silent Issue?

More than 450 million people in the world struggle with behavioral issues, mental health problems, or neurological challenges. When these issues go untreated, women and men are affected, but women especially struggle. International efforts are looking at ways to prevent, recognize, and treat disorders in women, but right now it is largely seen as a silent issue among women. 

Looking Bigger and Wider

With so many people impacted by mental health issues, there are many effects of untreated mental illness that can bring about unhealthy behaviors. Noncompliance with prescribed medical regimens and prognosis is not good if a person is not able to get the help they need. Cost-effective treatments exist for most mental disorders, but people are not able to get insurance coverage, health policies, and money to pay for medications or services. It is even harder for women, who often have children to care for, to take care of their mental health needs.


Women have rates of depression around twice as much as men during the childbearing years. These rates decline after age 44 years for many women, but pregnant women also suffer from depression. Depression and pregnancy may not harm just women but provide them with a lack of sleep and poor diet. They may be less motivated to get prenatal care, as well. Depression can shift things in their body, including the cortisol levels responsible for anxiety. Children may be born more prematurely to depressed women and the lineage of genetics can be responsible for generational mental health issues. Depression is a silent killer for women, and also causes many issues like self-medicating with drugs or alcohol. 


Anxiety may express itself as general anxiety, panic, or phobia, along with depression. Social anxiety and multiple phobias may lead to severe social disability and prevent gainful employment. This disorder is treatable with antidepressant drugs. 


Post-traumatic stress disorder often follows psychological trauma, like rape, natural disasters, and other things. Women and girls who suffer from PTSD have largely been assaulted, raped, and in need of greater psychological support. 


Alcohol and drug use are underdiagnosed in women, although rates are higher than men. Women who do not work outside the home are more able to hide detection and their dependency may only be revealed by its physical effects. Dependency may also come to light during hospitalization when the women’s supply of alcohol or drugs is no longer easily available. For women, it may lead to mental health issues and other things like cardiovascular disease. 

Discrimination against women has some role in it worldwide, but women’s silent suffering with mental health issues goes far deeper than most people realize. Women need to find spaces they feel vulnerable to share their challenges in recovery, find hope, and seek healing with those who want to see them thrive and succeed in recovery. 

Guest House provides quality care for clients seeking support for addiction recovery. We teach people how to live a sober life through programs, therapeutic support, and evidence-based therapies. Our recovery program is staffed by people who understand the power of addiction. For more information on sober living programs for men and women as well as recovery programs, call 855-483-7800.