BIG EMOTIONS & GIRL CHAMELEONS

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith , a practicing public health nurse for 12 years, did a study of 65 young women aged 14 to 21, and found that when their legitimate anger was dismissed or silenced changed themselves to blend in. Her handbook for healthcare professionals called: Living As a Chameleon: a Guide to Understanding Girls’ Anger for Girl-Serving Professionals, suggests that repression of anger, can prevent girls from protecting and knowing themselves, and leading a healthy mental life.