While working towards her doctoral degree, Taylor was appointed to Chair of the Parliamentary Conference on Violence Against Women and Girls. Likewise, there is no proof she can offer that all mental illness is the result of childhood trauma.

This book is a collection of disclosures by victims who were then further traumatized by an archaic system that often doesn't know how or care to help them. Not only did the erasure (sometimes even blatant denial) of trans experiences weaken her argument, but more importantly, it was unethical, angering, and very unfeminist.She rails against the idea of neurotransmitter chemical imbalances, arguing there is no medical test that can prove such a hypothesis. This was an incredible read that presents really important information about how the mental health system has oppressed women throughout history by victim blaming and normalising the fact that trauma occurs rather than normalising the natural responses to traumatic experiences. I wholeheartedly hope that this book is not just ‘preaching to the converted’ but will be a dynamic catalyst for change. It’s one thing to posit that feelings of depression, anxiety, flashbacks, hyper-vigilance, social withdrawal, and fear are normal responses to horrific abuse.

By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. Partially, this will be due to medicine and much of science being based on men and male bodies, with women and female bodies still being seen as too complicated and too much of a variable to be included in medical trials. Class, race, sexuality, gender, socio-cultural norms etc etc - not *just* "being a cis woman" - are just some of the issues that contribute to our mental health crisis. A more systemic approach, looking at how centuries of history have framed our current psychiatric system, rather than simply blaming the people working in the system. Inside this journal, you will find hundreds of questions, reflection tasks and critical thinking exercises to help you to reflect on your methodology, ethics, philosophies, biases and the real world impact of your work.Though at times repetitive, this book serves to drive home a multitude of points that we have seen so recently played out, such as in Depp v. Do I believe that psychiatry has actively overmedicated and pathologized women for the sole purpose of shutting them up?

In 2019, she was awarded a Fellowship of Royal Society of Arts for her contribution to feminism and psychology. g. there's a chapter where she discusses how medical diagnoses of mental health issues are used against women in court - this definitely happens and is awful- but then they go onto argue that the solution to this is to not diagnose women with any mental health issues, rather than exploring how this is also an issue with how mental health is stigmatised and stereotyped and then that is utilised against women in court. It reconfirmed my thoughts all along that there was nothing inherently wrong with me, that I am simply but a product of a society that has sought to objectify, sexualize, control, and violate women from time immemorial, and that my rebellion against this was perfectly normal and rational. Women have long been pathologized, locked up and medicated for not conforming to whichever norms or stereotypes are expected of them in that time and space.She was later recognized for her "contribution to the psychology of victim blaming of women, her work in mental health and her contribution to feminism" by the Royal Society of Arts. I cannot remember why but I got interested in the way we treat mental health and went along to a campaign meeting against ECT. Dr Taylor demonstrates how double-standards, gaslighting and self-referential arguments are rife and how the very ‘labels’ that are used to discredit and stigmatise women are simultaneously used to excuse men. A nuanced argument around CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), ie that it is good for some things (eg fear of heights) and horrible for others (eg years and years of complex trauma). a shame because some useful points are made about misogyny, racism, and homophobia in psychiatry, but this (queer!