Blog Prompt #2

The topics discussed in the Northrup article were interesting and thought provoking;. The myth presented by Northrup that the female body is abnormal struck a chord with me and my understanding of the the relationship between women and society. Specifically on page 4, Northrup said “our culture gives girls the message that their bodies, their lives, and their femaleness demands an apology.” This struck a personal chord with me because I used to apologize almost every other sentence and I still catch myself apologizing for a situation out of my control or just as a gut response to a situation. The simple phrase “I’m sorry” coming from a woman’s mouth has deep rooted meaning that goes far beyond the situation at hand. More specifically with understanding women and addiction, if a woman is always apologizing and shaming herself, this can only further perpetuate the need to numb oneself from the world. Without claiming pride in our bodies and who we are as women, it is easier to hurt our bodies through addiction.
Another concept that has surprised me was the idea of work addiction and the prevalence of this addiction in our society. It can be assumed that women work in an unequal work environment even to this day, with unequal wages and the ability to move up in a company. However, on page 200 of the Fassel and Schaef article they say “Addictions numb us and adjust us to the craziness of the dominant system.” It seems interesting that women become workaholics, in a working environment that does not treat women rightly and equally, yet they use their working addiction to numb them to the problems of the dominant society, or workforce.
I am learning that addiction is so much more than the obvious addictions to alcohol and illegal drugs, but that there really is a much deeper reason behind women and their addictions or compulsions.