Invisible Scars: Women and Medication
A few days ago, a professional named Anna shared a recent experience on LinkedIn. She wanted to share it because it had had a profound impact on her. A close person, who loved her, made her think deeply. Anna is going through a difficult personal process, but it's "human, normal, and everyday," in her words. The person close to her asked her to see her doctor for a treatment prescription. "Treatment?" Anna asked. "Yes, for depression or anxiety or whatever it is you have." And her response was clear and direct. "I don't suffer from depression or anxiety. I experience sadness at times because of the mourning I'm experiencing, for what is no longer, and never will be." She then recounted how surprised she was to have to manage any emotion she simply had to live with and let go with drug treatment, a pill. She concluded that this is an increasingly common mistake in a society where it's easier to numb the symptom than to address the source.
The fact is that Ana was absolutely right. We are taking pills to endure the daily grind, to overcome grief, leave behind the sadness of a divorce, forget frustrated expectations, or face difficult aspects of life or our own personalities. The question is whether this is the appropriate response to the situations that provoke it. Analyzing the profile of those who take medication already leads us to some primary causes: we find women, young or old, above all; 42% among the unemployed (also mostly women), and 24% among those who dedicate themselves exclusively to housework (mostly women), according to the National Health Survey. We clearly see the impact of socioeconomic conditions on the discomfort of the female population.
The fact is that Catalan women suffer from anxiety and depression disorders twice as much as men, specifically 32% versus 16%. Biological factors combined with the unequal conditions they suffer form an unbeatable combination.
I myself participated as a researcher in a study conducted in companies based in Catalonia, and in every one of them, women consistently reported lower levels of satisfaction than men, regardless of their position in the company. Whether we analyzed a receptionist or a manager, their level of satisfaction was always lower than that of their male counterparts. It's hard not to feel anxious when you're paid less, when there are few measures to balance work and life, or when there are so many obstacles to career advancement.
To alleviate this generalized emotional distress, we use hypnotics, sedatives, and anxiolytics. A study conducted with patients in the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, and the Valencian Community found that 75% of those who used medication for emotional distress were women.
The serious thing is that it's not just the adult population that is being medicated. According to a survey on drug use in secondary schools in Spain, tranquilizers are now the fourth most commonly used drug among adolescents. They detected a higher rate of use among girls: 24% of them had taken anti-anxiety or sleeping pills at some point, compared to 15% of boys. And age, with the maturity it supposedly brings, doesn't seem to be a solution, since the data show that consumption increases as we get older.
It is understandable to feel anxiety when the stereotype expected of a woman is so rigid and unattainable, a Superwoman Always perfect and at the service of all. Social media, displaying images of impossible yet desirable bodies, may be at the root of the increase in this medication among adolescents. Among adults, more than 200 messages about cosmetic surgery have been detected daily. The social imperative for beauty and youth undermines women's self-esteem and condemns them to permanent self-dissatisfaction.
Feminism cannot ignore this limiting situation affecting our well-being and health. It must be part of our concerns and our work, as it is a shocking and often silenced example of female discrimination. The best antidote to this dangerous spiral of malaise is sisterhood, community, friendship, and genuine equality policies.