Although Betty Friedan wrote about “the problem that has no name” over 50 years ago, this unidentified issue still remains rampant today. Women may have used tranquilizers prescribed by doctors to forget about their loss of self in the past, but is that any different from the antidepressants garnered after filling out rigid surveys pertaining to postpartum depression shortly after giving birth?
Betty advises that there is no peace until you are able to use your abilities, and fatigue is a warning sign to show that something is evidently wrong. Yet even in 2017, women are often questioned and belittled for being a stay-at-home (and rarely do these moms simply stay at home), working, single, married, etc type of mom. The rampant guilt is continually reinforced through society’s stereotypes and traditional (as well as modern) expectations. The strenuous and arduous journey into motherhood remains a silent epidemic; though this time, it’s masked even further through heavily filtered photos and posts.