Baby boomers,
I am a medicated millennial.
Recently, I was put on anti-depressants for my anxiety and depression. I left the doctors office with the prescription in hand proud of myself for taking the necessary steps to get better. After my appointment, I rushed to CVS ready to fill my prescription and begin my healing journey. I was so proud of myself. I was proud until I began telling people about my decision. The unexpected backlash caught me off guard.
Sure, some people praised me for my choice, but others made sure I knew how they felt about my mental illness. I've heard it all.
"Your doctor shouldn't have given you a prescription on your first visit."
"Have you tried therapy?"
"Did you even think about the side effects?"
"You can become addicted to those pills, you know."
"Going Gluten Free can change your behavior."
The list goes on and on.
Should my doctor have given me a prescription on my first visit? Yes. Would you wait for a second opinion if you had an infection and your doctor wanted to prescribe you antibiotics? No, you wouldn't. I have an illness—just like any other illness. It just happens to affect my brain. Anti-depressants help treat my symptoms so I can better combat the negative thoughts running through my mind.
Have I tried therapy? Yes, I have, but therapy alone just wasn't working for me. In fact, it was my therapist who recommended I see a psychiatrist about being put on medication. Now that I'm on medication I am still seeing a therapist. They don't just hand you the medication and let you walk away. I see a therapist every other week. I check in with my doctor for medication management every 6 weeks. This wasn't a decision I took lightly.
The side effects? My doctor warned me about them before she wrote the prescription. I was told that I did not have to take the pills if I did not want to, but I had researched medication before my appointment and knew the good outweighed the bad. Sure, I had some nausea in the beginning, and the pills make me tired, but it's nothing that I can't manage.
I'm not going to bother justifying myself further. I don't owe anyone an explanation the same way you don't owe anyone an explanation about why you take medication for high cholesterol, high blood pressure or any of the other medications you take for your growing list of ailments. If anyone is over medicated, it's BabyBoomers.
Just because you may have grown up in an age where it was shameful to get help for your mental illness doesn't mean you have to shame young people who are going out of their way to get better. This was my decision and my decision alone. I do not need your opinion, and my mental illness is none of your business. I am happy with my choice to begin a medication regiment, and nothing can take that away from me.
Next time you want to voice your opinion about my medication, try yelling at a cloud instead of tearing down a mentally unstable young adult.
Sincerely,
A Medicated Millenial
