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

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.    Jakubowski et al. (2022, Annals of Behavioral Medicine) – Self-silencing predicted ↑ carotid atherosclerosis in midlife women.       4.    Beauboeuf-Lafontant (2008, Qualitative Sociology) – Black women’s depression tied to silencing under cultural expectations of strength.       5.    Ussher (2004, 2013, 2023) – Purity/self-policing associated with self-blame and somatic illness pathways.       6.    Rasmussen (2014) – Self-silencing linked to anger suppression, leading to somatic symptoms.       7.    Peterson (2015) – Shame and silence in purity narratives obstruct preventive health care.       8.    CRP & Stress Studies – High CRP consistently linked to psychosocial stress (Rozanski, 2014, Circulation).

 

Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.

 

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📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604

 

📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:

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TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy

Website: www.protealife.com

 

💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!