Local women discussing modern wellness concerns 

Editor’s Note: 

We convened a group of women to talk about women’s health issues, but wanted to allow for a lot more range than what’s typically thought about as women’s health care. Listen in to what real women talk about when asked about what affects their lives and health most.

Meet our participants:

Marcia, age 66, a psychotherapist in private practice, married, no children, five grandchildren, passionate about women’s perceptions of themselves

Corey, age 35, librarian, mother of an 11-year-old daughter, divorced, passionate about health care access and health insurance

Barbara, age 58, social services director, married, two grown children, two grandchildren, passionate about caregiving and diet and exercise

Elizabeth, age 27, community engagement director, single, no children, passionate about feminism and resources for people to take care of themselves

Amy, age 43, law professor, divorced, mother of a 10-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, passionate about healthy food access and community connection

Moderator: Thanks for coming tonight. What did you think we might talk about when we said “Women’s Health Roundtable?”

Marcia: “In my work in a women’s prison mental health clinic, I saw that nine out of ten women had experienced abuse of some kind – physical, emotional or sexual. They used substance abuse as a coping tool. In my work, I see a lot of challenges for women right now about who they are. ‘How can I be me and still have a family and figure out my evolving identity?’” 

Barbara: “In my first job, I worked with low income women and they really suffered from low self-esteem. They didn’t see that they have lots of skills from being mothers. Women need to be strong and confident. I see access to health care and birth control as issues.” 

Corey: “My biggest challenge is, ‘When do I have time to be sick or take care of myself?’ I work with a lot of low-income students, some of whom are homeless. They have the same challenges I have except they have more challenges, like having to take the bus or a cab everywhere.” 

Elizabeth: “As a new full-time adult, and someone with a congenital heart defect, I’m now transitioning to self-management of my own care. I broke my knee over a year ago and it’s still in process of healing. I am spending a lot of time thinking about what kind of risks I can take, knowing that I’ll have to deal with the consequences on my own. How do I deal with an acute crisis and what kind of support networks do I need in place?”

Amy: “It took so long for me to be diagnosed with hypothyroidism, nearly 13 years, and I had no idea. If I’d known more about my body or my thyroid, it might not have taken that long. I’m interested lately in spiritual issues for women, and I teach yoga, which helps with stress management.” 

All the Hats that Women Wear

What’s the greatest stress in your life right now? How do you take care of yourself? 

Barbara: “For me, it’s being the only child locally caring for my 98-year-old mother, working full-time, teaching Jazzercise part-time, watching my grandchildren sometimes and still trying to take care of myself. Exercise helps me so much. Even at six in the morning, I find teaching Jazzercise fun and exhilarating. I’ve also changed my diet to decrease inflammation and it’s really worked.”

Marcia: “I stress about my health, which is a big issue, and then there’s work stress and dealing with family dynamics. I generally love to dance and meditate, with a healthy amount of red wine and dark chocolate. I try to treat myself – if you aren’t taking care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else. It’s not selfish, you’ve got to set healthy boundaries.”

Elizabeth: “For me, a big stress is cultivating community at the age I am and the place I live. A lot of people who are my close friends have moved away, and I want people just to hang out with. As an introvert, it’s constant maintenance and learning to ask for what I want.” 

Corey: “Dealing with ALL the stuff, it’s exhausting! I’ve got a lot of responsibility and a running injury. Running was one of my stress relievers, but I had to go back on antidepressants because I wasn’t able to run and knew the winter months would be tough. It’s been frustrating to try to figure out what else to do. But finding a spiritual place to go, even just an hour a week has been helpful.”

Amy: “In leaving my marriage, I also left my religion, and that’s been hard. I lost my support networks. For me, I’ve been doing a lot of exploring the past few years about spiritual issues. What does it mean to be a woman and
be spiritual? How can I take care of others and take care of myself?” 

Top Priority

What do you think is the number one issue for women in society? Is there one thing we could improve that would make a lot of things better?

Marcia: “The perception of what a woman is supposed to be, do and accomplish. Because what a woman is supposed to look like, her role, her value, her self-esteem and her self-efficacy are tied back to that.”

Elizabeth: “I’ve been thinking about navigating my health stuff and my heart stuff and wondering why it’s so hard to deal with. Women are supposed to.

Amy: “Vulnerability and receptivity can be a gift. That’s where real sharing happens, in community.” 

What do you think is the biggest health issue for people who are in different circumstances than you?

Corey: “Health care, paid sick leave, affordable housing…well, so many things but I guess it comes down
to resources, so poverty.” 

Marcia: “People who have low socio-economic status don’t know they have any options. So they follow that path. Some of my clients had never seen a tablecloth. Or one who thought that her boyfriend putting her head on a railroad track was OK because he wouldn’t do that if he didn’t love her. We have to educate them past that being OK.”

Barbara: “The daily struggle (of living in poverty) is so much harder and more precarious. If you are already riding the bus because you don’t have a car, and get sick and can’t work, and can’t get paid, and can’t pay the rent…the stress is so compounded!”

Amy: “If you can’t have fresh, healthy food, there’s the same cycle. You don’t feel well, you get a chronic illness, you can’t work, you can only afford bad food full of fillers. It’s survival level.” 

On the Horizon

What do you see signs of improvement in?

Marcia: “There seem to be some shifts toward acceptance of changes in gender roles, gender identity and sexuality. More gender fluidity.”

Corey: “The Affordable Care Act is not perfect but it’s a step in the right direction. More people are getting health care, and the costs are covering things people need but couldn’t get before.”

Elizabeth: “I think that we’ve made some progress in mental health awareness. We are recognizing it, that it’s serious and people are feeling more free to talk about it.” 

Amy: “Technology is helping people with education, women with children are able to get an education online, because of access via the internet and make a better living. They can also connect with other women more easily.”

Barbara: “Health care access is improving. Some people are left out but we are working on it.” 

Amy: “Also, more interest in yoga and meditation as ways to improve mind / body awareness and challenge those body issues.” 

Thanks for joining us for this conversation about women’s health – we’re sure there will be many more.