When it comes to women owning our hormonal power and taking charge of our health destiny, it’s critical that we first understand the disheartening reality that we have been dismissed and even disrespected in the landscape of modern medicine. This phenomenon, rooted in historical attitudes toward women’s bodies and health, persists today, perpetuating a cycle of disrespect and gaslighting within Western medicine. One glaring manifestation of this issue is the prevalent “pill for an ill” mentality, where women are routinely prescribed birth control and/or synthetic hormones without a thorough investigation of the root cause of their symptoms. In this blog post, we delve into how this is impacting our hormonal health and how educating ourselves can help us own our hormonal power.
The Problem
On a regular basis, I meet and work with women who have been lumped into one big identical treatment plan – a plan that includes synthetic hormones that often make matters worse. Whether in teens to early reproductive years, in your 30-40’s, perimenopausal, or menopausal, “the pill” is often prescribed to relieve all of the symptoms. Shockingly, over 60% of women who are prescribed the pill are given it for reasons other than birth control! As women go through Menopause, often it’s just a new variety of synthetic hormones to quiet down your symptoms. The result of these synthetic options – women are often dealing with a plethora of new symptoms that they have no idea are adverse events or side effects of these synthetic options. Additionally, they are also put at risk for chronic disease, including hormone-related cancers.
The Historical Context
From the days of hysteria diagnoses, an umbrella term used to describe, and even pathologize, things about women not understood by their male physicians, our symptoms have been diminished and trivialized and, in many ways, shaped the health care of women for well over 100 years. Did you know that the surgical name “hysterectomy” actually came from the early diagnosis of female hysteria? Notice, the procedure of removing your uterus was not called “uterectomy” (or something that relates to the organ), it was labeled “hysterectomy!” Fascinating, yes? In my opinion, this historical backdrop has laid the foundation for the gaslighting of women in modern medicine.
The Pill for an Ill Mentality
In today’s medical landscape, the “pill for an ill” mentality remains pervasive, particularly when it comes to women’s health. Rather than conducting thorough investigations to uncover the root cause of women’s symptoms, healthcare providers often resort to prescribing medication as a quick fix. This approach may temporarily alleviate symptoms but fails to address the underlying issues, leading to a cycle of dependency on medication and worsening health outcomes. Instead of empowering women to take control of their health, this approach leaves them feeling unheard and disregarded. I share several stories of these scenarios in my soon-to-be-released book “Create the Vitality You Crave.”
Here’s one example – a young 34-year-old mother of seven came to me with incredibly severe abdominal pain every month. This was 18 months after she had undergone hysterectomy for endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition in which cells similar to the endometrium (lining of the uterus) grow outside of the uterus. As is often the case, her organ was removed, but her surgeon did not get to the root cause of the problem, which was estrogen dominance. Because the root cause was not addressed, those rouge cells were left to create havoc again throughout her abdomen. She had many of the nasty symptoms of estrogen dominance – mood symptoms, resistant weight gain, brain fog, and others – but those were not considered in her diagnoses or treatment. This young mother was indeed “dissed” by our dysfunctional medical system.
The Overreliance on Synthetic Hormones and Birth Control
One of the most glaring examples of the “pill for an ill” mentality in women’s healthcare is the overreliance on synthetic hormones and birth control. Again, for many women, hormonal contraceptives are prescribed as a one-size-fits-all solution for a range of health issues, from irregular periods to acne. However, these medications come with a host of potential risks and side effects, including mood swings, depression, anxiety, unbudgeable weight gain, brain fog, fibroids (both uterine and breast), and decreased libido. Moreover, the underlying causes of these symptoms, which are often the result of exposure to toxic estrogens, are often left unaddressed, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction among women seeking relief. The condition known as “estrogen dominance” is not caused by God-given estrogen but rather by the toxic estrogens we are exposed to every day. The iatrogenic (doctor-caused) source of these toxic estrogens is in the form of oral contraceptives (“the pill”) or synthetic hormone replacement therapy. Yet, these drugs continued to be prescribed in droves!
The Impact on Women’s Health
The consequence of this dysfunctional model is that women’s health women’s health concerns are being neglected, and the root cause is ignored and left untreated. Women may find themselves trapped in a cycle of symptom management, never truly achieving optimal health or well-being. Often, more drugs, often anti-depressants, anxiolytics, and now drugs for weight loss, like Ozempic, are prescribed to offset the symptoms exacerbated by the original prescription. Chronic conditions may go undiagnosed or untreated, leading to long-term complications and diminished quality of life. Moreover, the psychological toll of feeling dismissed or gaslit by healthcare providers can erode trust in the medical system and deter women from seeking care altogether. I see this scenario repeatedly with my clients. Many of them are feeling absolutely desperate for answers!
Advocating for Ourselves
One of my passions is educating and empowering all women to understand more about our bodies, the root cause of our symptoms, and how we can all take charge of our hormonal power. Trust me, I have had to travel this same path. I was prescribed synthetic progestins as early as 20 years old and was told I would need to take them for years. Fortunately, I did not listen, so I took charge and became my own health advocate. You know your body better than anyone else. However, most women do not understand that the mood swings and emotional symptoms you may be dealing with are not from “hysteria” but a real physiological cause. Our physiology indeed impacts our psychology! For women, the pathophysiology (disease process) is often from imbalanced hormones.
Conclusion
By acknowledging the historical context of women’s health, addressing the consequences of the “pill for an ill” mentality, and educating ourselves about our hormones, what causes imbalance, and how to heal our bodies, we can indeed begin to own our hormonal power. We can no longer leave it to our medical providers, as I was once counseled with an accompanying pat on the knee from my former GYN. Get informed and be your own advocate for the vitality and life you deserve!
If you are confused about your hormonal symptoms, check out my Free hormone quiz. If you want detailed information on how to optimize your health and hormones, read my new book, “Create the Vitality You Crave.” You can click here to be notified of its release date.
