Overview

For centuries so called 'difficult women' have been labelled as 'hysterical' and 'out of their minds'. Today they wait longer for health diagnoses, often being told it's 'all in their heads'. Although healthcare systems are overburdened, why are women the first to feel the effects of this? Why is it so hard for women to find the kind of help they need? Why is no one listening to them? And why have so many lost faith in mental healthcare? Drawing on the lived experiences of women, alongside expert commentators, recent history, current events, and her own personal and professional experience, Dr Linda Gask explores women's mental healthcare today. In doing so she confronts her role as a psychiatrist, recalling experiences treating women and as a woman who has received mental healthcare, illustrating the dire need for more change, faster. Women can't all be out of their minds.

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9781009382465

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Reviews

'I have had the privilege of knowing Linda for over 30 years and have always been in awe of her intelligence and incisiveness. I have learned so much from her and owe much to her. This book is testament to Linda's ability to distil complex ideas to narrative that will be appealing to a range of audiences. Linda spoke to an incredible range of women in writing this book - and gives voice to their ideas, experiences and concerns. That Linda also shares her own experiences is powerful and makes for an intimate read. The book is thought-provoking and should be recommended reading for anyone working in health and social care. Linda's call for social justice is well made.' Carolyn Chew-Graham, OBE, GP Principal in Manchester and Professor of General Practice Research at Keele University 'An interesting and comprehensive look at the current state of play, rooted in such diverse research and commentary. I love that there's 'ordinary' women's voices sitting alongside medics and counsellors and literary references from bell hooks to Margaret Atwood.' Harriet Griffey, author of From Burnout to Balance and Write Every Day 'In Out of Her Mind, Linda Gask claims that care 'must always begin with listening to the patient or client's story.' And that is exactly what she does in this book: she listens carefully to stories told by women - of oppression, abuse, neglect, mental illness - recovering narratives that otherwise have been silenced, voices that have been ignored. This is a vital, informed and wise book that is alive to the challenges of 'feminist-informed' therapy and the failures of our contemporary mental health system, while also providing possible solutions, ways out of the current impasse. Above all, it succeeds in treating its subjects and subject matter 'with respect, kindness and compassion'.' Jonathan Taylor, Ph. D., author of Laughter, Literature, Violence, 1840–1930 'A really important book. Essential reading for mothers of daughters.' Melanie Reid, The Times 'A psychiatrist's clear, accessible feminist narrative of the mental health problems girls and women still face from childhood through to old age, pressured to care for others while not receiving proper care from the mental health system themselves. It reminded me of so many of the reasons why a feminist perspective helps us understand & live our lives.' Maggie Gee, author of The Ice People, The White Family and The Red Children 'As a second wave feminist and as a woman who has experienced mental health services from both sides (as a patient and a highly experienced mental health professional), Linda Gask brings a powerful and authentic voice to the vital discussion of women's mental health. Thoroughly researched, yet highly readable, this book is shaped by the narratives of women who have a diverse range of experiences, arising from family, social, cultural, and biological factors. A recurring theme is how women are too often viewed as both 'too much' and 'not enough' making the task of expressing our needs a challenge that directly impacts on our mental health. Even the most marginalised women will find themselves in these pages, and will feel strengthened and validated by Gask's compassionate and first hand perspective. This book is a giant step forward in de-stigmatising women's mental health issues and is essential reading for anyone interested in the range of historical and current power imbalances in mental health.' Annie Hickox, Ph. D., Clinical Psychologist, Independent Psychological Assessment & Therapy 'Using the voices and experiences of women globally, and a broad variety of fiction and non-fiction, Professor Linda Gask guides us through the many subjects facing women and girls today, showing us where Feminism has failed us by getting 'stuck' on single-issue divisive topics. Instead, Gask asks for a much wider approach - one that requires more listening, knowledge and understanding.' R. F. Hunt, author of The Single Feather

Author Information

Linda Gask is Emerita Professor of Primary Care Psychiatry at the University of Manchester. Now retired, she has been the Royal College of Psychiatrists Presidential Lead for Primary Care and has written about her own experience of mental illness in two memoirs, The Other Side of Silence and Finding True North. A lifelong feminist, she has an international reputation in the fields of primary care mental health and doctor-patient communication and has been an advisor to the World Health Organisation.

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