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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
As always, Julie Holland impresses. I enjoy the obvious care put toward both encouraging people to use non-medicated ways to deal with mood/sleep/weight problems (like exercise, spending time outdoors, probiotic foods, etc.), but also being willing to have a frank discussion about different medications, what they do, and the fact that some people need them in addition to or instead of the more natural remedies.
I appreciate the eye toward an all-angles approach with this.
4 stars because I'm a little skeptical of the evo psych here, and that's probably the weakest portion of the book, but regardless, I think this can teach most women a lot about their bodies and how to be more in touch and in tune with their monthly cycles and larger lifetime shifts (puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause, post-menopause).
I recommend reading Julie Holland books to anyone who is willing to do so. The medical stuff is presented in what I think is a fairly easy to understand context, and I think it is important for more people to have a basic idea for how a lot of this works.
I appreciate the eye toward an all-angles approach with this.
4 stars because I'm a little skeptical of the evo psych here, and that's probably the weakest portion of the book, but regardless, I think this can teach most women a lot about their bodies and how to be more in touch and in tune with their monthly cycles and larger lifetime shifts (puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause, post-menopause).
I recommend reading Julie Holland books to anyone who is willing to do so. The medical stuff is presented in what I think is a fairly easy to understand context, and I think it is important for more people to have a basic idea for how a lot of this works.
"We are not men. We are women. We feel more deeply, express our emotions more frequently, and get moody monthly. It’s normal. It’s nature’s way. And we don’t necessarily have to medicate away the essence of who we are to make others more comfortable.”Review at the Pluviophile Writer: http://bit.ly/2D1IxA2
4/5 stars.
ebook, 432 pages.
Read from September 17, 2017 to September 26, 2017.
I will admit, this is not normally the type of book I would read but after a bad batch of PMS symptoms that I am just getting reacquainted with, I felt I needed a bit of reassurance and validation with my lady cycles. You see, I came off the birth control pill for a variety of reasons after being on it for 13 years. That is a long time to take a medication regardless of its positives (like, you know not having babies). After coming off the pill I came to realize just out of sync I was with my body and coming to the realization that I had not had to deal with any of these natural symptoms since I was a teenager.
This book discusses how to deal with your body's natural monthly hormonal changes and how society has stifled them. The author also delicately talks about the use of other medications and how they affect your mood and other aspects of your life and just how society views women and our perceived neurosis. She always enforces that many of these medications are necessary for a lot of people and encourages the reader to analyze their own use and assess it. She finds a good balance between discussing our natural cycles and how medications can affect us as women without being accusatory or denying the importance of medications. The author also subtly endorses the use of cannabis. I am not a user, nor will I likely ever be but I can't deny the science behind its use. It is important to note that the author is a legit psychiatrist and her work is full of science-based references in facts with everything that she writes about
"The problem with taking your happy pills and puttering along as before is that it's no better than sweeping dirt under the carpet. I want you to take that rug out back and beat the hell out of it."You cannot deny the benefits of birth control and the liberation that it has brought to women for so many reasons but what is not discussed, ever, is the potential side effects it has on women's health and that fact that it is currently the millennial generation that has become a guinea pig to its long-term use. The pill is amazing and is very much needed but I was never told of any side effects of being on it and it is not something that is ever discussed in the doctor's office and it needs to be. I feel more mentally stable after coming off the pill. I have had friends who were not themselves while they were on the pill as they had trouble with being a weepy and depressed mess. Like many other women, I also lost my sex drive while on birth control and my ability to have an orgasm while on other medication.
Women's bodies go through a variety of hormone changes throughout the month of our cycle and we are never really taught about each stage and how to deal and welcome it. Instead, as a society, we stifle our feelings and natural cycles with Midol, anti-anxiety/depressant pills and hormonal birth control and are told that we are irrational and that our feelings are not valid. That is a major problem. It is no surprise that so many women drink, don't get enough sleep and doubt their self-worth. We medicate away our problems, often with added side-effects, to deny ourselves our emotions and lack to find value in them. For example, that same anxiety that you may feel is also what makes you good at your job or a good parent, provided that it is not debilitating these are natural emotions that the author finds do not need to be medicated as often as they do based on her observances of the women that have frequented her office. By reconnecting with our natural cycles the author advocates for an improved well-being for women.
While the book provides some solutions, mostly cannabis-based, the value in this book comes from the facts and information that this doctor provides in recognizing your own cycles and with validating our experiences and feelings as women.
As silly as I felt purchasing and reading this book I am so glad that I did. I think that every woman needs this book as a re-education for their well being and sexual self Ladies, take care of yourselves and be a badass ass moody bitches.
informative
slow-paced
This book has made me re-think the entire way I think about life. Not because I feel like I have to, but because it has made me aware and given me simple solutions to be a happier, natural me. This entire book is interesting and revolves around the science of a body without feeling like you are reading a textbook filled with complicated terms. It also does so without shaming you. Everything is clearly explained and then you are given easy ways to implement that into daily life. It talks about sex, orgasm, birth control, exercise, food, meditation, nature, and just taking a moment to yourself (and not in a hippie dippie way some people hate). It has given me hope that I will start taking care of myself more and I hope that I will keep that promise to myself. This book is written for women, but I would also recommend to men as a lot of these recommendations overlap and that they can learn a lot about their female relationships whether it is friendly or romantic. Everyone should read this book and just absorb it like a sponge.
challenging
informative
medium-paced
“Conflict is growth trying to happen.”
“It’s much easier to soften the edges later in life than it is to build up a foundation of self-worth.”
Julie Holland’s Moody Bitches sets out to challenge the widespread belief that women’s natural emotional fluctuations are a problem to be solved rather than a fundamental aspect of their biology. She argues that modern society (with its emphasis on productivity, emotional stability, and compliance) pressures women into dulling their emotions through medication and other interventions. The book explores the intricate relationship between mood, hormones, neurotransmitters, and lifestyle factors like sleep, diet, and exercise. Holland contends that rather than medicating away emotions, women should learn to work with their natural rhythms, seeing moodiness as a valuable signal rather than a weakness.
One of the book’s strongest points is its empowering stance on embracing emotional fluctuations rather than suppressing them.
Holland makes a compelling case that mood swings, while sometimes inconvenient, serve an essential biological and psychological function. She effectively explains the science behind hormonal shifts, neurotransmitter activity, and the impact of modern stressors on mental health, making complex concepts accessible without oversimplifying. Her writing is engaging, direct, and laced with humor, which keeps the material from feeling like a dry medical lecture. The practical advice on improving mood through lifestyle changes (prioritizing sleep, movement, and nutrition) feels actionable and reasonable, which helps to reinforce the idea that women can take charge of their well-being without immediately turning to medication.
However, the book’s skepticism toward psychiatric medication and hormonal birth control often comes across as dismissive. Although she acknowledges that some women genuinely need antidepressants, her overall tone leans heavily toward the idea that they are overprescribed and often unnecessary. This perspective felt overly broad, and somewhat reductive.
Additionally, her framing of women’s hormonal and emotional experiences as universal can be limiting—while biology undoubtedly plays a significant role, mental health is deeply personal, and not all women will fit neatly into the patterns she describes.
Another shortcoming is the book’s heteronormative and gender-essentialist approach. Holland largely focuses on traditional male/female relationships and assumes a fairly uniform experience of womanhood. While this does not necessarily invalidate her points, a broader and more inclusive perspective could have made her points applicable to a wider audience.
Overall, Hollandmchallenges societal expectations surrounding women’s emotions, in a writing style that is personable and humorous. She does present compelling arguments for managing mental health through lifestyle adjustments rather than immediate pharmaceutical intervention.
However, the broad generalizations and hypercritical stance regarding medications left me feeling ultimately unengaged.
“It’s much easier to soften the edges later in life than it is to build up a foundation of self-worth.”
Julie Holland’s Moody Bitches sets out to challenge the widespread belief that women’s natural emotional fluctuations are a problem to be solved rather than a fundamental aspect of their biology. She argues that modern society (with its emphasis on productivity, emotional stability, and compliance) pressures women into dulling their emotions through medication and other interventions. The book explores the intricate relationship between mood, hormones, neurotransmitters, and lifestyle factors like sleep, diet, and exercise. Holland contends that rather than medicating away emotions, women should learn to work with their natural rhythms, seeing moodiness as a valuable signal rather than a weakness.
One of the book’s strongest points is its empowering stance on embracing emotional fluctuations rather than suppressing them.
Holland makes a compelling case that mood swings, while sometimes inconvenient, serve an essential biological and psychological function. She effectively explains the science behind hormonal shifts, neurotransmitter activity, and the impact of modern stressors on mental health, making complex concepts accessible without oversimplifying. Her writing is engaging, direct, and laced with humor, which keeps the material from feeling like a dry medical lecture. The practical advice on improving mood through lifestyle changes (prioritizing sleep, movement, and nutrition) feels actionable and reasonable, which helps to reinforce the idea that women can take charge of their well-being without immediately turning to medication.
However, the book’s skepticism toward psychiatric medication and hormonal birth control often comes across as dismissive. Although she acknowledges that some women genuinely need antidepressants, her overall tone leans heavily toward the idea that they are overprescribed and often unnecessary. This perspective felt overly broad, and somewhat reductive.
Additionally, her framing of women’s hormonal and emotional experiences as universal can be limiting—while biology undoubtedly plays a significant role, mental health is deeply personal, and not all women will fit neatly into the patterns she describes.
Another shortcoming is the book’s heteronormative and gender-essentialist approach. Holland largely focuses on traditional male/female relationships and assumes a fairly uniform experience of womanhood. While this does not necessarily invalidate her points, a broader and more inclusive perspective could have made her points applicable to a wider audience.
Overall, Hollandmchallenges societal expectations surrounding women’s emotions, in a writing style that is personable and humorous. She does present compelling arguments for managing mental health through lifestyle adjustments rather than immediate pharmaceutical intervention.
However, the broad generalizations and hypercritical stance regarding medications left me feeling ultimately unengaged.
Smart, funny, mind/body positive, nature-friendly, and a really good read. Should be required reading for all women and the men who live with them :)
Might be particularly helpful to young women, and makes a great Kindle gift at $5.99.
Might be particularly helpful to young women, and makes a great Kindle gift at $5.99.
Very informative, and well written. I liked her sense of humor. Many psychological concepts are made "user friendly" and applicable to real life. Every woman who wants to get her mind right should read this.
Moral of the story, try to live by nature and do what our ancestors did. I liked the author’s overall message and points, and I specifically appreciated how she reframed women’s cyclical nature as adaptability and as an advantage. I even feel psychologically better about PMSing and having to feel terrible once a month. I have indeed seen how it can be a useful time for reevaluating the things and people I’m around when my tolerance for bs is lower, and appreciate that Dr. Julie emphasizes that these feelings can be trusted, to some extent, or at least have value. Nothing super groundbreaking overall, but there were definitely some useful reminders on how to live a generally happy and healthy life.
However, I found the author’s tone and message to be quite inappropriate at times, and many of the conclusions that she drew from the studies she cited didn’t appear to be very sound. As another reviewer said, she generally presents good information, but sometimes “she’ll go off the deep end”. The author also declares what’s right and wrong for women with very little flexibility and seemingly little empathy (ex: DON’T take hormonal birth control when you’re on SSRIs, but what if you need both? She only discusses the negatives of doing so, without providing any reassurance for those who very reasonably aren’t able to do so).
Frequently, too, I felt that she was very much cherry picking data that helped her arguments (although generally these were arguments I agreed with!) and I wasn’t provided enough context to evaluate for myself whether her conclusions seemed appropriate to the study. One instance that really bothered me was when she advised against period sex (something that contradicts what I’ve heard from other sources), because a large percentage of women who have heavy periods have period sex, whereas a small percentage of women who have light periods have period sex. She thus appeared to draw the conclusion that period sex causes heavier periods?
Anyway, I wish the book had been better supported and consisted less of unsupported / poorly supported opinion. But also, I will certainly incorporate and be benefitted by some of the advice Dr. Julie has given in this book, so can I really complain that much? Hehe.
However, I found the author’s tone and message to be quite inappropriate at times, and many of the conclusions that she drew from the studies she cited didn’t appear to be very sound. As another reviewer said, she generally presents good information, but sometimes “she’ll go off the deep end”. The author also declares what’s right and wrong for women with very little flexibility and seemingly little empathy (ex: DON’T take hormonal birth control when you’re on SSRIs, but what if you need both? She only discusses the negatives of doing so, without providing any reassurance for those who very reasonably aren’t able to do so).
Frequently, too, I felt that she was very much cherry picking data that helped her arguments (although generally these were arguments I agreed with!) and I wasn’t provided enough context to evaluate for myself whether her conclusions seemed appropriate to the study. One instance that really bothered me was when she advised against period sex (something that contradicts what I’ve heard from other sources), because a large percentage of women who have heavy periods have period sex, whereas a small percentage of women who have light periods have period sex. She thus appeared to draw the conclusion that period sex causes heavier periods?
Anyway, I wish the book had been better supported and consisted less of unsupported / poorly supported opinion. But also, I will certainly incorporate and be benefitted by some of the advice Dr. Julie has given in this book, so can I really complain that much? Hehe.
Every woman should read this. Important info about meds, sleep, sex and overall health. appreciate the mind-body connection and alternative treatments discussed. some new, some older information all tied together quite nicely and in an open, honest, conversational manner.
some things I jotted down:
--insomnia and mood disorders are interwoven
--early awakening symptoms of depression
--circadian manipulation is a non-pharma treatment for depression (my psychiatrist gives me drugs to get to sleep and drugs to get going in morning-which I don't want to take but let her write the scripts.)
--memories "consolidated" during sleep!
--if you nap should be 25 min or 90 min
--testosterone levels lowest in afternoon and highest in morning
--"healthy serotonin levels lead to healthy melatonin levels"
--artificial light at night makes us out of sync with nature and the seasons
--less sleep w/ artificial light
--if you eat fewer carbs in winter your body can burn off fat store. Carbs in summer, fats in winter.
--"Sleeping more helps keep you thin."
--magnesium and chamomile help with sleep
--when benzos wear off often have increased anxiety/withdrawal
"Too many of us are out of sync with our bodies and our environment. And that disconnect is making us sick, fat tired, wired and miserable."
"We medicate away our unease."
"All of us have the capacity to influence our emotional lives."
some things I jotted down:
--insomnia and mood disorders are interwoven
--early awakening symptoms of depression
--circadian manipulation is a non-pharma treatment for depression (my psychiatrist gives me drugs to get to sleep and drugs to get going in morning-which I don't want to take but let her write the scripts.)
--memories "consolidated" during sleep!
--if you nap should be 25 min or 90 min
--testosterone levels lowest in afternoon and highest in morning
--"healthy serotonin levels lead to healthy melatonin levels"
--artificial light at night makes us out of sync with nature and the seasons
--less sleep w/ artificial light
--if you eat fewer carbs in winter your body can burn off fat store. Carbs in summer, fats in winter.
--"Sleeping more helps keep you thin."
--magnesium and chamomile help with sleep
--when benzos wear off often have increased anxiety/withdrawal
"Too many of us are out of sync with our bodies and our environment. And that disconnect is making us sick, fat tired, wired and miserable."
"We medicate away our unease."
"All of us have the capacity to influence our emotional lives."