All Posts By:

Amy Yang

  • Confidence, Depression, GirlSpring.com, Health, Poem, Poems, Stress, Writing

    The Harm in Being Called a Drama Queen

    drama queen, drama queen

    why so emotional?

    it was merely a triviality

    all your problems really are minuscule,

    in the grand scheme of things

    quit your whining

    you got the attention that you so wanted

    drama queen, drama queen

    why am i so affected?

    all of my problems pile onto me, 

    until i can’t bear the burden any longer

    next time i’ll be stronger, i promise

    i’ll never whine again

    sorry for wasting all your time with my cry for help

     

    “drama queen” portrays the cycle of calling a girl a drama queen. It’s harmful when our society and culture associate dealing with emotions silently and privately with having strength. When women do display their emotions, they are brushed off as overdramatic attention-seekers. This creates pressure for women to bottle in their emotions until finally they can’t anymore. They are met not with solace, but with the label of “drama queen”. This creates the unhealthy cycle of emotional processing and self-loathing. 

    Being sensitive is perceived as narcissistic. Showing one’s sorrow is seen as an egotistical move to consume others’ time and gain their pity. Sometimes people let out their despair, and they do, more than anything, want someone’s attention. Since when has merely addressing others’ pain become a deplorable chore?

    In her essay, “I’m A Sensitive Woman, Not A Drama Queen,” Amy Monticello perfectly conveys emotional sensitivity as a woman. She describes sensitivity not as a weakness or fragility, but as an ability to detect the slightest shift in the atmosphere or attitude of another. It is this ability that makes sensitive people feel harder. Where’s the shame in that?