For many, it’s a part of their morning routine- wake up, eat breakfast, get ready for the day, and swallow your pills on the way out the door. Chances are, this sticks true for the night too; taking medication becomes part of your routine, no matter the time of day. Take myself for example, I’m seventeen years old with an “AM/PM” pill container, and to be completely honest, I’m not afraid to admit this. Go for it- stick labels to my name, call me a “drug addict”, and deny that I truly need the medication because after all I guess you do know me better than I know myself. For many, the thought of taking prescribed pills (medication) on the daily makes them cringe. Although, who are the people pointing fingers? Usually, those whom have never been chronically ill, don’t suffer medically, or are in denial and uneducated.

I’ll never be able to wrap my head around why people believe that those who are prescribed medications enjoy the process as a whole. The actual action of putting the pills in your mouth, with the throwing back of the head, and gulp of water simply is a reminder that in order to feel or perform normal, you must rely on medications. That feeling of the oversized pill scrapping the side of your throat on its way down is a reminder that your situation sucks so much and you would do anything you can to get out of it. Please, let me remind you- with every medication comes side effects, some more serious than others. So to the person who thinks we get an electrified feeling in our stomach at the thought of being prescribed yet another medication, you’re wrong (sorry not sorry). A more accurate description of how we feel is a bottomless pit in our stomach. Although, if the medication has the potential to give us relief, and will allow us to perform normally then we are willing to take a chance when it comes to the side effects.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is something that physicians commonly prescribe medication for. I like to describe ADHD to people as that time when they’re taking a test in a classroom and their classmate is tapping their foot, as the teacher is, not very considerately, having a conversation in the doorway. Then, on top of that, their mind is wandering in endless places, and, just like that, they lose their train of thought. It’s an endless, vicious cycle that takes place 24/7 and in reality is 100x worse than anything the average person can relate to. Although, more importantly, the point I’m making is that medication allows these people to perform at a normal levels. Why should they be at a disadvantage from the rest of us? So before you give somebody that side eyed look when you hear that they take a controlled substance, think twice, unlike many we don’t view Adderall or Focalin as a “grade raiser”. In truth, it’s not all it is cracked up to be. So who are the ones abusing the drugs, us or our classmates who are scrambling for it before finals and the SATs?

To those who think taking medication for mental illnesses is a sign of weakness, hear me out. Clinical Depression, for example, is a chemical imbalance in one’s brain. Seeing a psychologist can be helpful, true, although, a psychologist can’t solve the root of the problem. Talk about how you feel all you want, you will still be short some serotonin. Therefore, taking a pill a day for your depression is something that is only making you equal to everyone else. Now, to all the people taking narcotics, or any pain medication for that matter, as long as it makes a positive difference, it is OK. If you are taking a medication and feel no difference, then there is a problem. Although, why take something away that is helping? To put things into perspective for those who are not chronically ill, if a medication came out to cure cancer or make victims of cancer feel as good as new with very minor side effects, you would be all for it, am I right? So why is it that when it comes to taking medication to treat migraines, chronic pain, gastro issues, and much more, it is frowned upon? After all, we are all human and we all deserve relief that will leave us with a good quality of life and one that makes us more equal to everyone else.

So, next time you are putting the pills in your mouth, throwing back your head, and gulping water, know that it is OK. You are not weak, you are strong, mentally and physically, to go through what you do every day and remain positive with high spirits. You are more than entitled to live a life equal to everyone else. If the mediation you are taking is truly helping you, then keep your chin up and don’t give a sh*t about what others say. Never forget that you know yourself and your body best.