Sexy But Psycho: How the Patriarchy Uses Women's Trauma Against Them

Angry, opinionated, mouthy, aggressive, hysterical, mad, disordered, crazy, psycho, delusional, borderline, hormonal . . . 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.

Sexy But Psycho is a challenging and uncomfortable book which seeks to explore the way professionals and society at large label and sexualise women and girls.

Utilising decades of research, real case studies and new data from her own work, Dr Taylor’s book will critically analyse the way we label women with personality disorders.

Why are women and girls pathologized for being angry about oppression and abuse? How have so many women been duped into believing that they are mentally ill, for having normal and natural reactions to their experiences?

Sexy But Psycho argues that there is a specific purpose to convincing women and girls that they are mentally ill, as the world avoids addressing violence against women and their centuries of ignored trauma.

Dr Jessica Taylor says, ‘This book might just be the most important thing I ever write. I want the world to see how psychiatry and the mental health movement has deliberately positioned women and girls as defective, inferior, hysterical liars since time began, and how that still impacts every woman and girl in the world to this day. This book is an important mixture of academic research, history, psychology and real-life stories of women and girls who have been told that they are mentally ill, instead of being listened to. It’s a terrifying account of what happens when women and girls are referred into a mental health service after disclosing trauma or abuse.’

RELEASED: 10 MARCH 2022

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A signed first edition hardback is also available and can include a personal message of your choice if requested.