If you’ve ever wondered why women are diagnosed with anxiety far more often than men this is the episode that rips the lid off the “it’s just hormones” myth and gets brutally honest about the real drivers. In plain English, we unpack biology, culture, and a healthcare system that too often labels women’s symptoms as “just anxiety” while missing what really needs attention. No hand-waving. No stereotypes. Just the hard questions—and practical steps you can use tonight. In this deep dive, we trace the hidden pipeline that funnels millions of women into chronic worry and panic: stress-sensitive brain circuits, hormonal “windows of vulnerability” (PMS, pregnancy/postpartum, perimenopause), relentless rumination loops, role overload, gender-based violence and coercive control, economic inequity, and the way help-seeking plus diagnostic biases can warp the numbers. We also get real about intersectionality: the experience of anxiety isn’t the same for everyone, and race, class, safety, queer/trans identity, and access to care change the story. What’s inside The big picture—fast: Why the gender gap shows up in data (and why it’s messier than headlines make it). Biology without the BS: How estrogen/progesterone shifts can sensitize stress systems—and why context still calls the shots. Perinatal & perimenopause anxiety: Under-screened, under-treated, and what to ask at appointments. Rumination traps: Why “thinking it through” becomes a loop—and the exact moves to exit it. Social load & safety: Caregiving, invisible labor, harassment, and violence—how they map onto anxiety symptoms. Medical blind spots: When chest pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath gets waved off as “anxiety”—and how to push for proper evaluation. Intersectionality matters: Why the gap widens or shrinks across race, economics, and identity—and what that means for getting help. Action plan: Screening, evidence-based therapies, meds (when appropriate), and simple daily supports that actually change the trajectory. Micro-practice you can try tonight Name the loop: “This is a worry spiral, not a medical emergency.” Buy time, on purpose: Set a 10-minute timer; commit to not checking, Googling, or body-scanning until it ends. Shift to values: Do one tiny action that matches who you want to be (text a friend, step outside, wash your face, prep for bed). Body reset: 4 slow nasal breaths → unclench jaw/shoulders → spot 5 things you can see and 3 you can hear. Resources & next steps Try the QuickCalm app for guided “rumination breakers,” exposure ladders, body-sensation drills, worry-time containers, and SOS sequences. Reachout to us at support@deanxious.com and we can recommend a program specifically for you. https://quickcalm.app https://deanxious.com If perinatal or perimenopause anxiety rings a bell, ask your clinician about routine screening and treatment options. If your symptoms were dismissed as “just anxiety,” bring a written symptom timeline and request a second opinion—you deserve to be heard. Share this episode if… Someone in your life keeps being told “it’s just stress”; You’re navigating postpartum shifts; You’re stuck in the “check–relief–fear” loop and need a way out.