Why So Many Women Now See Themselves As “Traumatised” - Freya India
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Freya India argues that therapy culture has effectively replaced religion for many young women, serving as a new worldview through which they interpret their lives, relationships, and emotions. She notes that while this comparison is not entirely new—referencing Christopher Lash from the 1970s and Frank Farudi's recent writings—the phenomenon has escalated significantly with social media. In this modern context, young women do not view therapy merely as a tool but adopt it as a comprehensive lens for understanding existence. Consequently, they mimic religious characteristics by substituting prayer with positive affirmations, seeking salvation through healing journeys, and reframing intrusive thoughts instead of resisting temptation from the devil. This therapeutic worldview fundamentally shifts how problems are perceived, moving away from viewing emotions like anxiety or disappointment as ordinary human experiences toward pathologizing them as medical issues. Freya highlights that language has shifted to focus heavily on concepts such as attachment styles and trauma, often at the expense of discussing simple hurt or age-old anxieties. This shift provides a sense of solace and order out of chaos similar to what religion offers, yet it is described as "slippery" because it removes inconvenient demands, restrictions on freedom, and behavioral standards that traditional faiths require. It fulfills modern cravings for belonging, security, and faith without the obligations associated with organized religion. Regarding the prevalence of this trend, Freya cites a 2023 study indicating that approximately one-third (32%) of all American children aged 12 to 17 have undergone therapy, taken medication, or received some form of treatment within a single year. While such statistics are often celebrated as positive advancements in mental health care, she views them with concern given the scale involved. Beyond those formally receiving clinical help, there is a vast population living immersed in "therapy culture," constantly consuming content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok that focuses on trauma-informed advice, red flags, and attachment theory. This environment creates a pervasive atmosphere where therapeutic concepts dominate daily discourse for young women who are increasingly disengaging from religious frameworks. The transcript also includes an advertisement segment promoting Momentous supplements, which claims to offer high-quality omega-3s, creatine, and magnesium L-threonate supported by rigorous third-party testing. The brand emphasizes its 30-day money-back guarantee and international shipping capabilities, offering a discount code "modernwisdom" for viewers interested in their products endorsed by figures like Dr. Ronda Patrick and Andrew Huberman. Following this commercial break, the host invites listeners to watch the full conversation with Freya India on Modern Wisdom, framing it as an essential listen for those who enjoyed the excerpt provided.
Read the full video transcript
Why do you think so many girls are drawn
to therapy culture?
Oh, I think it's a lot of things. Um, I
do think this is kind of a cliche thing
to say now, but I do think therapy
culture has replaced
religion. Um, and that's not a new thing
to say. People have been saying that for
a long time. So, Christopher Lash was
writing about that in the ' 70s. Uh,
Frank Farudi writes about it really well
now. But in recent years since social
media, I would say therapy culture has
just escalated um to the point where I
think young women don't see it as a
worldview. They just see that as kind of
life. So they interpret everything
through this therapeutic lens. So their
lives, their relationships, their
emotions. Um and I think it has elevated
to the level of religion. Um, so you
think of you think of all the kind of
characteristics of religion, we just
mimic them with therapy culture. So
instead of praying, we just repeat our
like positive affirmations. Um, instead
of like seeking salvation, you'll go on
like a healing journey. Um, instead of
like, you know, resisting temptation
from the devil, you'll reframe your
intrusive thoughts. Um, and so I think
for young women in particular who are
becoming less religious, this kind of
therapeutic worldview has completely
replaced that void. What does a
therapeutic worldview consist of? What
what what does that mean? Um, like
seeing problems in your
life, kind of pathizing problems and
experiences as something medical rather
than I'm just experiencing this emotion
or kind of age-old anxiety. Now it's
become a medical issue. Um, so things
like talking in the language of
attachment styles uh and and trauma and
losing the language of just ordinary
hurt and disappointment and things like
that.
And for some reason this is
giving some kind of solace or
comforts, order being brought out of
chaos. I think it gives the comfort
religion gives and the consolation of
like you see young women on Tik Tok
saying things like um like they won't
pray to God but they'll give a request
to the universe and like have faith in
that. Yeah. And so I think it gives all
the comfort of religion but it takes
away the inconvenient parts. So the any
actual demands on you or kind of
restrictions on your freedom or anything
like that being held to standards of
behavior etc. So it has what women are
craving in modern life I think which is
belonging and security in something and
faith in something but it's it's a much
easier version of religion slippery
religion. Yeah. Yeah. How many of these
girls are in therapy do you think? A
lot. Um there there was a study recently
showing that 32% of all 12 to 17 year
olds in America have either had therapy,
been on medication or had some kind of
treatment in 2023
um in a over a single year one/3 which
is insane
and I was talking to someone about that
statistic and they were like oh that's
great that's amazing and I was thinking
that's a bleak statistic. Um, so yeah, I
think there's there's the girls that are
in therapy, which is a lot, but then
there's also the girls who are just like
living in therapy culture. So, it's just
they scroll through Instagram and it's
all about attachment styles, trauma.
They go on TikTok and it's like a trauma
informed therapist telling them like red
flags they should watch out for and
stuff. It's just like there's the actual
therapy, which I'm sure there is there's
therapist, but there's also just this
culture, which is just the world that
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