**This content mentions self-harm, sexual assault, eating disorders, hypersexuality, trauma, depression, loneliness or isolation which some people may find triggering. Read with caution.
Social and economic factors can put women at greater risk of poor mental health than men. However, women generally find it easier to talk about their feelings and have strong social networks, both of which can help protect their mental health.
Reminder that both men and women deal with mental health differently than what the average says, and that both genders equally carry the weight of mental health in different categories. Both sides should not be compared to being worser/less than another.
What affects women’s mental health? What are the health problems they may face?
There are many things that can affect a women’s mental health, this can be seen through how they live, gender stereotypes, etc. Some risk factors take on a bigger role on women more than others. Examples of how women are more likely than men:
- To live in poverty, which along with concerns about personal safety depending on the area they live in, as well working mainly in their home can lead so social isolation.
- To experience physical and sexual abuse, which can have a long term impact on their mental health. As well, this can lead to women, especially at a younger age to become hypersexual.
- Economic barriers, the lack of insurance or cost, as well as low income, can contribute to poor mental health.
When women find it hard to talk about difficult feelings, they tend to internalize them. This can lead to depression, eating disorders, and self-harm. On the other hand, some factors protect women’s mental health: they tend to have better social networks than men, finding it easier to confide in their friends and are more likely to have been treated for a mental health problem.
The differences – types of experiences
There are long-standing stereotypes around differences in genders that have been immersed in our societies and cultures. Gender discrepancies have even made their way into mental health research and care.
Even though progress has been made to decrease the stigma surrounding mental health issues, there is still more to improve on, especially when looking at variations in mental health between both genders.
The development of mental health issues is usually a combination of genetics and the role and experience the person has in society, different genders have very different experiences. The combination of the two can influence how mental health issues develop.
Types of experiences
Depression: One of the most common mental health disorders someone might struggle with is depression. Twice as many women experience depression at some point in their live when compared to men. Gender, genetic, social, and economic differences all play a role in the development of depression in women.
Eating disorders: Eating disorders impact women much more than men. Eating disorders involve obsessive thoughts and behaviors that are associated with food, body weight, and appearance. Eating disorders represent a significant mental issue but can also occur in tandem with other conditions, including depression and anxiety disorders.
Suicide: Women are more likely to attempt suicide, even though men are more likely to die by suicide. Females who reported having a higher physical manifestation of symptoms were more likely to attempt suicide again after their first attempt. It’s important to note that just because someone may not be successful in a suicide attempt does not mean that they will not continue to struggle with lifelong complications as a result.
Hypersexuality: Hypersexuality, also known as hypersexual disorder, or more commonly, sex addiction, is an obsessive fixation on sex, sexual acts, and sexual fantasies. This can be caused from many different things such as long-term sexual abuse, certain medical conditions such as epilepsy are thought to cause damage to some parts of the brain, which in turn could trigger the condition, and certain medications you might be taking.
What can you do to help someone/yourself?
There are many ways to seek out help, or to heal, whether you want to contact resources both in and out of school.
Therapy is one of the many ways to get help as it offers a different point of view of your situation and can find you other resources within that. Other ways can helplines such as suicide and crisis hotline (988), using 988 chat if you are in a place where you cannot call, counseling support (1-866-427-4747), and for text-based crisis support, text HOME to 741741 or call 866-4-CRISIS (866-427-4747).
Habits can also be a great way to help someone or yourself, this can be something such as menial tasks like making your bed after getting up, brushing your teeth, going for a walk.
Things that can seem simple to many is a struggle for people with mental health problems, so to encourage others around you to keep going, and letting them know your there for support. Small comments on how good their doing, or even just random compliments on how they look can be a big boost.
Remember that you are not alone in this situation, and that there will always be those around you that are there to help you. Your problems should not be compared to others nor should it be seen as of less importance then how others are dealing with their own problems.
