278 - Judith Herman - Activism is the Antidote to Despair
“It's not until the public gets outraged and demands something that you see a change.” - Judith Lewis Herman
In the words of my esteemed co-host, Anne Remy, “There’s a difference between an elder and a person who is older than you.” That distinction is crucial at a time when it feels like everyone is fighting with anyone who isn’t of the same generation, political ilk, race, religion etc, etc. Judith Lewis Herman, MD, is wise––a psychiatrist, professor, researcher, author, and advocate who helped establish the diagnosis of PTSD back before many of us were born.
In addition to her work with veterans and children, Judith fundamentally altered the discourse around women’s traumatic experiences and pioneered subsequent treatments for victims of abuse. How’s that for street-cred sagacity!?
“I had the good fortune to come of age during the second wave of the women's liberation movement, which set the direction of my whole career,” Judith tells Anne. Women were a token presence in psychiatry in 1968 when she received her degree from Harvard. “I developed the theory that when women reach maybe 15-20% of a profession where they have been marginalized, that's when you go from being a token to being able to organize and have a voice!”
Judith has continued to use her voice ever since. “I was on the Committee On Women of the American Psychiatric Association in the 1980s,” she recalls. “Women were about 15-20% by that time, and we made some noise!” The group called attention to blind spots regarding the impact of violence against women. “We were talking about things that nobody wanted to talk about,” Judith says.
While women enjoy more professional, social, and economic prominence today, Judith maintains that our collective liberation from patriarchal, capitalistic oppression is far from complete. “You have to take the long view,” she advises. “The United Nations now finds that violence against women is the most prevalent and longstanding human rights violation in the world. That's what we're up against.”
Notice how Judith used “we” when identifying the challenges ahead. “I still supervise psychiatry residents, and they're just all so dedicated, bright, and imaginative,” she says. Judith urges them and us to pick our battles but, above all, stay engaged. “Activism is the antidote to despair.”
One last thing: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that this is Anne Remy’s final episode as co-host. Don’t worry, it’s all for good! You can find out more by tuning in. I couldn’t think of a more fitting interview than this to close out Anne’s incredible tenure. It’s been my pleasure and privilege to share this virtual space with her.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
RECOMMENDED EPISODES
GUEST BIO
Judith Lewis Herman, MD, is a part-time senior lecturer in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. For 30 years until she retired, she was director of training at the Victims of Violence Program at the Cambridge Hospital in Cambridge, MA. She's the author of award-winning books, Father-Daughter Incest and Trauma And Recovery. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1984 and the 1996 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies like that's life goals. In 2007, she was named a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Her new book, Truth And Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice was published in March 2023.
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch
Join our Patreon for gifts & perks
Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers
Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts
***
Let’s be friends! You can find us in the following places…