Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir – Anna Marie Tendler

Men Have Called Her Crazy is a raw and unflinching memoir that dismantles societal myths about mental health and womanhood. Anna Marie Tendler recounts her lifelong struggle with misdiagnosis, gaslighting, and the dismissive attitudes of a world quick to label women “crazy.” With searing honesty, she explores how systemic biases in medicine and culture have silenced her voice, blending personal narrative with meticulous research to expose gaps in mental healthcare.

The book delves into Tendler’s childhood, where early symptoms of her condition were brushed off as “overreactions,” and follows her through decades of navigating therapists, medications, and institutions. She critiques the gendered language used to invalidate women’s pain, weaving in stories of other marginalized voices to underscore a broader societal failure. Her prose is both poetic and incisive, refusing to let the reader look away from uncomfortable truths.

Tendler also reflects on the intersection of creativity and mental illness, questioning whether her art—and the art of others like her—is dismissed or romanticized because of her diagnosis. She challenges readers to reconsider what “crazy” truly means, arguing that the label often says more about the labeler than the labeled. The memoir becomes a rallying cry for self-advocacy and systemic change.

Throughout, Tendler balances anger with hope, despair with resilience. She shares moments of dark humor and hard-won clarity, refusing to let her story be reduced to a tragedy. By the end, the book transcends memoir to become a cultural critique, demanding better for those pushed to the margins. It’s a testament to survival and the power of speaking one’s truth, even when the world refuses to listen.