The Lindsay Dilemma

I wasn’t going to address Lindsay Clancy case until the end of the trial, but work is making people do talk sessions and I just said, send me a summary, I may get institutionalized if say how I really feel, but I can ramble my thoughts here on the blog. I went back and forth since the beginning of this tragedy because it’s triggering (⚠️Caution it has SI/HI Content⚠️) but here’s my disclaimer: this website may not be for everyone and it’s recommended for the reader to seek formal resources.

–The Wellness Corner

What’s the Dilemma? 

Honestly, this case has been triggering for everyone so this post is mainly speaking in general terms -the court case is ongoing with multiple additional civil/criminal cases pending and new information coming out every other day… In the meantime, mental health providers/medications and services are being blamed and at the same time, people can see why psych medications and institutions are important or at the very least MANDATORY. Why? As I mentioned multiple times, whether people like the truth or not, I literally tell people the purpose of treatment is so you won’t harm yourself or others. Yes they are side effects, but the goal is to prevent or reduce DEATHS or crimes. 

This is the part where I may lose people but here we go. I don’t mean to conflate issues, but I struggle with the lack of biological female treatment. As a victim of abuse, men in general will always affect me. It’s been like that for YEARS, but due to the lack of access to mental health care, I have to normalize whatever trauma that has occurred. In addition, it’s offensive to be told our female experiences are the same as transwomen and some try to make it cute or s3xual and we are told to basically take it. I know I have at least 10 more years of this because as a woman, I’m forced to face a reality (in my own profession), in which females are continuously mocked, ridiculed, humiliated! And it’s been like this ever since I’ve been in healthcare and it has NOT gotten better. 

I remember prior to nursing school, I had a friend going to med school tell me, the reason why the nursing profession is so bad is because doctors are male-dominated and basically men are more respected and got it together compared to women and I thought even back then, that’s not nice or fair. However, it was reason she preferred medical school, she wanted to be taken seriously. I just assumed it was due to ignorance and pre-internet days, information was in general limited so I never questioned that statement, but kept wondering how she thought these things. 

However, when I read countless textbooks, the history of healthcare, articles, etc. and how they barely included women in the studies or how our experiences were usually dismissed or generalized, it’s became obvious that healthcare is focus on profit and not burdens… According to Chat GPT, here are some historical misunderstandings:  

Top 10 Things Medical Science Got Wrong About the Female Body—and What Women Were Saying All Along

1. “The wandering womb” and hysteria (Ancient Greece, c. 400 BCE): Ancient physicians such as Hippocrates believed the uterus could move through a woman’s body and cause anxiety, fainting, seizures, and emotional symptoms. The term hysteria comes from the Greek hystera, meaning uterus.
2. Women’s emotions blamed on reproductive organs (1800s–early 1900s): Anxiety, sadness, irritability, sexual desire, and other behaviors were frequently blamed on the uterus or “female weakness” instead of being properly investigated.
3. The myth that the cervix doesn’t feel pain (20th century medical teaching): The idea that the cervix was relatively insensitive contributed to assumptions that cervical and uterine procedures should cause little pain. Modern research recognizes complex sensory and autonomic nerve pathways, and pain management for gynecological procedures is receiving increased attention.
4. “IUD insertion is just a little pinch” (1960s–present): IUDs became increasingly available in the 1960s, yet pain during insertion was often minimized. In 2025, ACOG issued expanded guidance specifically addressing pain management for in-office uterine and cervical procedures, acknowledging that pain can be underestimated.
5. Painful gynecological procedures without adequate anesthesia (historical–present): Procedures including cervical biopsies, dilation, hysteroscopy, and endometrial biopsies have often been performed with limited pain control despite patient reports of significant pain.
6. “Pap smears shouldn’t hurt” (Pap test introduced in 1943): The Pap test, developed from the work of Dr. George Papanicolaou, revolutionized cervical cancer screening. Although many women experience only discomfort, some experience real pain due to anatomy, cervical sensitivity, pelvic floor tension, inflammation, dryness, or underlying conditions.
7. “Severe period pain is normal” (centuries–present): Generations of women were told debilitating cramps were simply part of being female. Endometriosis was first medically described in 1860 by Karl von Rokitansky, yet many patients still experience years-long delays before diagnosis.
8. Women’s pain is emotional or exaggerated (1800s–1900s): Symptoms were frequently labeled anxiety, nervousness, hormones, or hysteria before physical causes were adequately investigated. This historical pattern contributed to the stereotype of women as unreliable reporters of their own symptoms.
9. The male body became the medical default (20th century): Medical research heavily relied on male participants and often assumed the findings would apply equally to women, despite important differences in physiology, hormones, metabolism, and disease presentation.
10. Women excluded from clinical research (1977–1993): In 1977, the FDA recommended excluding most women of childbearing potential from early drug trials. After major criticism, the 1993 NIH Revitalization Act required the inclusion of women and minorities in NIH-funded clinical research.
11. “Women’s biology is too complicated to study” (20th century): Hormonal cycles were sometimes treated as a reason to exclude women from research rather than studying female biology more carefully—creating major gaps in knowledge about women’s health.
12. Heart disease is considered mainly a man’s problem (1960s–1990s): Major cardiovascular research historically focused heavily on men. The Women’s Health Initiative began in 1991, helping expand understanding of women’s health and the unique risks women face.
13. Pregnancy and childbirth are “natural,” so they aren’t dangerous (historical–present): The enormous physical demands and long-term effects of pregnancy and childbirth—including hemorrhage, pelvic floor injuries, preeclampsia, and obstetric trauma—were often minimized because childbirth was viewed as a normal part of womanhood.
14. Pregnancy, marriage, or childbirth could “fix” women (1800s–early 1900s): Women were sometimes advised that marriage, sexual activity, pregnancy, or childbirth could cure physical or emotional problems—reflecting cultural expectations about women as much as medical evidence.
15. Removing reproductive organs as a solution (1800s–1900s): There is a troubling history of hysterectomies and other reproductive surgeries being performed or promoted based on outdated beliefs about women’s mental health, sexuality, disability, or behavior. This should be distinguished from modern medically necessary hysterectomies, which can be lifesaving.
16. If the test is normal, the symptoms aren’t real (20th century–present): Women with pain have sometimes been dismissed when imaging or lab work was normal. Conditions such as endometriosis and some pelvic pain disorders may not always be easily identified through routine testing.
17. Visible disease should match the amount of pain (modern correction): Modern pain science recognizes that inflammation, nerve involvement, pelvic muscles, and nervous-system sensitization can influence pain—meaning severe symptoms do not always match what appears on imaging or even the visible extent of disease.
18. The biggest misunderstanding—women weren’t always believed (historical–present): Perhaps the greatest lesson is that medical science sometimes didn’t just misunderstand the female body—it underestimated women when they described what was happening inside their own bodies.

I asked Chat GPT to do the top 10, but I guess the more the merrier and it’s many issues that didn’t make the list. I made posts before (now deleted) about female arousal disorder and transgender treatment but I took them down, due to a lack of information or evidence and biases. I take the truth seriously and I’m a science person so therefore, I didn’t promote the COV!D jab but that’s another post.

What Are My Current Thoughts? 

I know this is controversial, but I see some similarities between this case and other tragic situations involving children—such as children being left in hot cars or accidental drownings—where intent, mental state, jurisdiction, and circumstances can dramatically affect whether someone goes to prison. My initial thoughts are usually everyone needs to go to jail. I understand these situations are not the same, but I also believe our justice system can be inconsistent and influenced by many factors. Like how many celebrities, athletes, and politicians avoid jail but committed horrendous crimes?? But this case is extremely uniquely rare. I’m just torn.

I can honestly see both sides: life in prison and/or placement in a secure psychiatric institution. Personally, I lean more towards an institution because there are still serious questions about the broader system of care surrounding Lindsay. I am not saying her ex-husband, clinicians, hospitals, or pharmacies are guilty or responsible, but I believe their roles and decisions deserve scrutiny. It raises difficult questions about where individual responsibility ends and systemic failures may begin. This case forces everyone to examine the entire healthcare system.

I’m horrified by what happened, I’m very pro life and pro family. Another issue that wasn’t listed in the Chat GPT, is how many women were injured or died during abortions, labor/deliveries, miscarriages. Many females aren’t aware that a pregnancy is more than a clump of cells. I had a patient who thought it can just go in the trash can and assumed (and it was) a spontaneous miscarriage and didn’t think it was wrong. She was arrested and eventually release since I’m sure law enforcement realized that it’s truly a lack of education in our country.

I’m pro-information and compassionate toward women regardless of whether they choose abortion. Sometimes people may not fully understand the physical risks or what can happen afterward until they experience complications and end up in the hospital. From my experience working near an abortion clinic, I saw many women who appeared traumatized and may have benefited from mental health support. I often took time to explain what was happening to their bodies, warning signs such as severe or persistent bleeding, and when hospitalization might be necessary. My concern is not about judging anyone’s decision, but making sure people are fully informed and supported both physically and emotionally.

Another issue is how pregnancy alone can randomly create new medical conditions. Women can experience health conditions—such as carpal tunnel, eczema, vertigo, seizures, asthma, autoimmune disorders, anemia, even dental/bone loss, and many more. Some medications like birth control (stopping and starting), weight loss treatment, can also trigger psych symptoms, menopause management, procedures like a hysterectomy is more evidence that women frequently need specialized mental‑health support as well. Yet access to this kind of care is limited, leaving many women without the resources required to manage both physical and psychological conditions effectively.

PROPER PSYCH CARE is hindered by insurances, state policies, DEA rules, pharmacies, rural areas, low resources, stigmas, and it seems like the only solution is to blame psych. People are already deterred from going into the profession and more providers are walking away. I don’t see this getting better and people are self-medicating rather than seeking professional help. THC, substances, ETOH, can also cause psychosis. However, if people take steps to get some kind of treatment, it’s a strong possibility that the care will be substandard due to all these regulations, logistics and confusions. Our profession, refused to defined a biological woman so I will continue to remain neutral, I am not a cis.

In Conclusion

I wanted to mentioned some key points from the trial so far that can help providers from this case. I plan on doing a part 2 after the trial: 

1. Chart and communicate like you’re in court and with empathy. You’re not writing love letters, but develop skills of compassion and how you’re trying to stabilize care. How do you chart like you’re in court? Write in a means of justifying your actions the treatment and intent. Do not rely on those check boxes. 
2. People can be manipulative. I’ve mention before how when care is getting riskier or unpredictable –make sessions more frequent (it can be >1x/week), COLLAB (don’t go in this alone) and be formal or more objective until stability. This can also hash out confusions about the treatment, motives, and minimize risks or deceptions. 
3. Assess HARM. People sadly use harm as a means to get better/relief/escape situations, etc. so I assess it with every visit –this is not the same as SI/HI (which also should be assess but it’s too specific). Harm is basically anything that deviates from baseline of normal/expected behaviors. At the very least I ask my patients, even the quick med follow-ups “any bad thoughts, sleeping okay, and drinking water?” I see kids so I have to keep things simple but I use it for adults since people are becoming more unhinged, erratic, and don’t know what’s normal or proper anymore. Recently an adult asked me “I don’t know what you mean by bad thoughts?” and I responded “Are you doing anything that you’re not supposed to do and why?” so if they want more answers, then I get more specific and start doing public service announcements but the point is to START ruling out or treating the harmful behaviors and thoughts as part of your assessments AND DOCUMENT IT. 
4. DO NOT ASSUME. People are saying since Lindsay is an RN, she should’ve known the risks, etc. -but I have patients in the medical field and I talk to everyone the same: I go over the med risks, alternatives, options, natural supplements, how they responded to prior meds or if others in the family had good responses. I basically chart a lot but (more so) building a case for the treatment and the purpose especially if you see critical patients. Again, have a system where you can keep track of people doing better/worse and what did/didn’t work. AND DOCUMENT IT. The courts are going over ALL the charting and if things were checked and not addressed, it’s possibly a crime.
5. KEEP ADVOCATING.

Disclaimer: These are personal, speculative thoughts and opinions intended only for discussion and educational purposes among mental health professionals. They are not medical, legal, or clinical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or make decisions about any individual or situation. If you or someone else is experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, seek immediate professional or emergency services 988/911.