Mental illnesses and their treatment have a very negative stigma surrounding them. Medication seems to be the topic under a negative light recently. People who do not suffer from a mental illness do not understand how beneficial medication is during the treatment process, and in return make it to be a very negative tool to use. Medication needs to be seen as a tool used along side of the use of proper coping skills, and not seen as an immediate cure for problems. It is used to treat the more severe symptoms so that people can function like normal people. So what exactly are the 5 main reasons the stigma needs to end?
1. It prevents people from seeking out proper care.
When you tell somebody that "it's all in their head," or to "get over it," it pushes them away from seeking out the care they actually need. Blaming someone for suffering through a mental illness only makes them feel more hopeless, and they need to be properly advocated for instead so that they can get proper care.
2. Some people need them because their brain does not produce the right neurotransmitters.
The medications people take for mental illness usually are taken to make the brain produce neurotransmitters, or to mimic them. When on the proper medication it allows people to feel better, or have feelings of being normal. It is a calming feeling, and it allows for progression in treatment.
3. It helps stop hallucinations and delusions.
People with schizophrenia suffer from hallucinations and delusions. Bipolar disorder can also cause people to suffer from hallucinations during mania because of psychosis. Without medication these people would continue to suffer, and they would never having that feeling of solace due to trying to determine what is real, and what is not real.
4. It makes people feel weak.
Telling someone that they should not need medication, that it does not help, or that its a ploy for big pharma to profit it makes them feel bad about themselves. It makes them feel weak, causes self blame, and can allow alcoholism and drug abuse to occur from self medicating.
5. It causes addiction.
Without proper medications people will self medicate with drugs or alcohol, and eventually develop a dependency because it causes them to not feel their feelings.
