Let me walk you through my nightly routine. I shower, throw my hair up in a messy bun, and take off my makeup. Climb into bed, maybe read a book or watch whatever Netflix show I'm currently addicted to. Right before I go to sleep, I scroll through Facebook and Instagram or watch through some Snapchat stories. Then I plug my phone in, roll over and reach for a tiny orange bottle perched on my nightstand; swallow my anti-depressant and shut off the lights.
Yes, I rely on an SSRI to manage my anxiety and depression symptoms.
No, I do not feel like I should be ashamed of this fact.
Here's why I believe it is so important to make this relatively tiny part of my life public information. Imagine my surprise when I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and saw a friend from high school post the words, "Exactly, I don't believe in medication for anxiety, ADD, or any of that crap!" in reference to a photo that claimed all you need is good wholesome religion and prayer to cure anxiety.
Settle in, because I'm about to hop on my soapbox.
Without a doubt, we live in a world that stigmatizes, and often demonizes, mental health. We're so quick to throw around words like "crazy" and "psycho" in reference to people we don't like. We write off legitimate illnesses like depression and anxiety by telling those suffering to "get over it" and "just calm down." We are willing to do whatever it takes to cure physical ailments from cancer to diabetes, but if someone needs a psychotropic medication, we immediately assume they're being over-dramatic and that no kind of legitimate illness actually exists.
As a graduate student studying to become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, I can absolutely attest to the fact that there are myriad ways to treat the symptoms presented by most mental illnesses that don't involve medication. There are options: mindfulness training, meditation, talk therapy, religion, prayer, exercise, etc. And I truly believe that all of these methods work in their own way. Don't get me wrong. Drugs are not the end all, be all of treatment for mental illness. That being said, that doesn't mean there aren't people out there who genuinely need some form of maintenance drug to keep their symptoms at bay.
When the neurons in my brain fire, they are too quick to reabsorb the serotonin they release. This leaves me with a chemical imbalance and not enough serotonin in my body to support proper brain function. In other words, I have low levels of serotonin in my brain. Without the tiny white pill I take before bed every night, I suffer from debilitating panic attacks and anxiety and depression symptoms that, at times, make it near impossible to get through the day,
I've said it before and I'll say it again: you would never deny a diabetic their insulin, so why on earth would you try and deny me the SSRI that keeps my brain chemistry where it needs to be?
Are medications often over-prescribed? Absolutely. I am in no way implying that medication is the ultimate answer to curing someone of their mental illness. In fact, clinical research shows that the best approach to treatment is medication in combination with some form of therapy. In these cases, medication serves as a starting point to alleviate symptoms while therapy works to target the deep-seated issues at hand and ultimately help create a better life for the patient in question.
I in no way, shape, or form plan to be on medication for the rest of my life. The anti-depressant I take is a part of my life right now. Something I need to jumpstart the long road to recovery and becoming the person I want to be. But even if that weren't the case, even if I ended up taking an SSRI for the rest of my life; it is nothing to be ashamed of.
If you choose to look down on me because of my medical needs, that says a lot more about you than me.
As humans, we tend to fear what we don't understand. Mental illness is tricky. It isn't like a broken arm. There's no visible cast or wound to be seen. We cannot see mental illness, therefore it cannot exist. It is exactly this kind of thinking that feeds into the endless amount of stigmatization surrounding mental health as a whole. All your negativity and stigma do, are make it less likely that those who genuinely need help will seek it out. Nobody wants to be written off as psychotic, lazy, neurotic, or any of the other harsh words some would use to describe those suffering from mental illness. Too many people are afraid to speak out and seek the treatment they need because they fear being judged.
In order to reverse the stigma, we need to change our thinking. Comments like, "I don't believe in medication for any of that crap," are a big part of the problem. What the world needs is more kindness and compassion. We need to be open and understanding. Mental illnesses are just as valid as physical ailments and deserve to be treated with just as much dignity and respect.
So before you openly judge someone for taking a psychotropic medication, ask yourself this: will my comments do more harm than good? Odds are, the answer is yes. Practice love, don't preach hate.
