Self-Silencing in Women: The Hidden Link to Stress, Hormones & Heart Health

About this episode

Why do so many women struggle with stress-related health issues without ever speaking up? In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy continues his series on self-silencing in women—a powerful yet often overlooked cultural and psychological pattern. Dr. McCarthy breaks down: What “self-silencing” really means and how it shows up in everyday life The four categories of self-silencing How chronic stress and emotional suppression affect hormones, fertility, and cardiovascular health Why women face higher risks of heart disease when these patterns go unaddressed What men can do to better support their partners during PMS, perimenopause, and menopause This conversation is about more than symptoms—it’s about validation, advocacy, and the urgent need to recognize how cultural conditioning impacts women’s health. Citations: Jack, D. C., & Dill, D. (1992). The Silencing the Self Scale: Schemas of intimacy associated with depression in women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 16(1), 97–106. • Jack, D. C. (1999). Silencing the self: Inner dialogues and outer realities. Harvard University Press. • Jack, D. C. (2011). Reflections on the silencing the self scale and its origins. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35(3), 523–529. • Jakubowski, K. P., Barinas-Mitchell, E., et al. (2022). The cardiovascular cost of silence: Self-silencing and carotid atherosclerosis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 56(3), 282–293. • Ussher, J. M. (2004). Premenstrual syndrome and self-policing. Social Theory & Health, 2(1), 56–77. • Ussher, J. M. (2013). Diagnosing difficult women. Feminism & Psychology, 23(1), 63–77. • Beauboeuf-Lafontant, T. (2008). Listening past the lies. Qualitative Sociology, 31(2), 105–124. • Rozanski, A. (2014). Behavioral cardiology. Circulation, 129(25), 2509–2516. 1. Jack & Dill (1992) – Developed Silencing the Self Scale. Linked to depression and poor health outcomes. 2. Framingham Offspring Study (Jack, 2011) – Women with high self-silencing had ↑ heart disease and premature death. 3