# What are women "healing" from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691 "2003-01-15T04:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/1 "2003-01-15T04:50:17Z")
A few days ago, I picked up a local “womyn’s newspaper” from a pile containing tens of local Kansas City-area alternative weekyl newspapers. Looking through it, I noticed that 90% of the articles and ads regarded some vauge concept of “healing” and/or “wellness.” Why is is that women – sorry, I mean womyn – are in such need of “healing,” and what is it that they’re healing from? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/2 "2003-01-15T04:58:34Z")
**MEN!** He he. Just kidding. 😃 Women typically have a higher rate of morbidity at any given age than men do (men get a higher rate of mortality). They typically see their Drs more (if only for a yearly pap smear), and typically are more concerned about health. I think the adds are just targeting a susceptable audence. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/3 "2003-01-15T05:01:51Z")
From the abuse they’ve suffered at the hands of the chauvinist male pig oppressors, of course. That’s a joke, but also a sincere guess. ---
**Author:** ![jack\_ss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jack\_ss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_ss)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/4 "2003-01-15T05:08:23Z")
Uh, that’s Male Chauvinist Pig. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/5 "2003-01-15T05:18:14Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* \*\ ***MEN!** [QUOTE] They’re wom **y** n, though … would men even be a factor? (elmwood runs away!) Seriously, though … ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/6 "2003-01-15T05:22:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\*Women typically have a higher rate of morbidity at any given age than men do (men get a higher rate of mortality). They typically see their Drs more (if only for a yearly pap smear), and typically are more concerned about health. \*\* The healing isn’t the sort that you get from doctors … it’s herbalists, drum circles, resting hot stones on your forehead, making shrines to Brigid, “safe spaces,” and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Kezermezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@Kezermezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kezermezer)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/7 "2003-01-15T06:08:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\*Looking through it, I noticed that 90% of the articles and ads regarded some vauge concept of “healing” and/or “wellness.” Why is is that women – sorry, I mean womyn – are in such need of “healing,” and what is it that they’re healing from? \*\* Everyone is in need of healing and wellness. If there’s anyone alive older than ten years old, I bet they’ve got something they need worked out. Do you really think there’s anyone out there who’s completely healthy? As for why much of this stuff is aimed at women (I’ve never seen it spelled “womyn before” but I’m not sure why you feel the need to mock them if they do) I guess it’s prolly cause they’re more open to it. Likely for the same reasons (none, as far as I can tell) that lots of men think other men crying are wusses. It’s a manly man thang. Of course, not everyone into healing and wellness is female. Most of the great yoga instructors I’ve heard of are guys. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/8 "2003-01-15T06:13:01Z")
Bah, its all crutches. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/9 "2003-01-15T06:16:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kezermezer \* > If there’s anyone alive older than ten years old, I bet they’ve got something they need worked out. Do you really think there’s anyone out there who’s completely healthy? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m fine. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/10 "2003-01-15T06:22:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\*The healing isn’t the sort that you get from doctors … it’s herbalists, drum circles, resting hot stones on your forehead, making shrines to Brigid, “safe spaces,” and so on. \*\* Right - but women are still more interested in their health than men are, regardless of where they’re getting it from. Ya see what I’m saying? ---
**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/11 "2003-01-15T06:30:53Z")
It may be more justifiable in one’s mind to get “indulgence” if we call it something else. Or my favorite, that the idea is just so cool or romantic (in the 18th century meaning of the word) that they just want it… pretty much explains the whole New Age movement, from my point of view. Of course, “womyn” are not the only ones with that obsession, but perhaps more likely than the general population. ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-women-healing-from/148691/12 "2003-01-15T08:45:16Z")
Maybe the paper targets used up, broken down, raggety womyn.