The Taboo Around Medication: An Honest Conversation About It | Mental Health Awareness Month

Although the statistics on mental illness have shown how common this condition is, many people hesitate to seek psychological help. In the interviews for this article, people shared their experiences with medication, psychiatrist treatment, and the challenges before and post medication. The result is an honest conversation about feelings towards the world, the challenge of living a fulfilling life with mental health conditions, and the struggle of living a balanced life in a society that is not fully prepared to help.

Apathy towards life, no perspective of a future, devoid of feelings, thoughts about death, and the sensation of emptiness are some of the symptoms of depression. "It feels like something's wrong when I can get out of bed.". H— one of the interviewees, declared. 

"At first, it felt like a lot of noise in my head. Bad thoughts like if something bad was about to happen were common. As when you trip on the stairs and you are about to fall."

E— another interviewee said about first experience with medication:

"In the beginning, there is a lot of experimentation. Psychological and physical effects such as insomnia, hands shaking, and what they call "vivid dreams" make things even harder. Medication impacted my creativity and I felt this numbness about my feelings."

In the social media era, it can be overwhelming to put yourself out there and share these experiences; however, social media can help to break stigma. It is important to talk about it on the channels we have to our disposal so we know we are not alone in this. According to E:

"It doesn't have to be taboo. When I met people who also took medication and I learned about their experiences, I knew I was not alone in this. That helped me to understand and accept my own experience. I needed medication at that moment.The goal is to get off it at a certain point. You are not the medication."

Currently, the way society approaches the issue can be retraumatizing for people with mental illness. It can also decelerate their healing process. Lack of support and understanding at professional settings is commonly narrated by the interviewees. 

"There was a certain passive aggressiveness in their comments about my mental stability."

Professional environments often lack empathy due to the expectations on how professionals should perform. Micro-aggressions like untrustworthiness on their skills after they've shared a diagnosis can be as harmful as the illness itself. In a world where our worth is based on how we professionally perform, mental health must be part of the conversation about the future of work. The unwillingness to discuss it in professional environments increases the levels of anxiety and discomfort for those with a mental health condition.  E recalled:

"At work, I would lie about taking medication by saying I was sick." 

As anxiety has turned into a buzzword broadly used on social media, it becomes a challenge to properly identify anxiety issues for those who need treatment. In general, there are different levels of anxiety and, even though they all need attention, certain levels of this condition can lead to serious mental illnesses.

"It's hard to accept that, in order to function in the world, I needed medication."

There is a deep inner-judgment about our own living condition with psychiatrist medication. Most of the time, this judgment comes from social stigmas such as people with mental illness are assumed to be unreliable to function in society. Consequently, they fear isolation and oppression. That is why many patients hesitate to seek help, hence to start treatment with medication. Right at the beginning of E's treatment, they recalled:

"I took a long time to seek help, and I regret not doing it earlier because of my own judgment. Medication is not the only way, but it is a tool that helps you to get through it."

H insightfully stated that "Depression is a liar. It tells you that things are worse than they actually are. Most of the time it's about what we tell ourselves, it's not real. The real you would never talk to you like that. The real you would remind you are loved." As a matter of fact, the two interviewees in this article are real people, but it is ethical to protect their identity and that is why we called them E and H. 

E stands for Empathy— the ability to understand one's feelings. H stands for Hope— the grounds for believing that something good may happen. These two instances are key to help people with mental illness.

EmpowHer NY stands with those who need space and also want to talk about mental health. We hope this piece will be part of a major conversation to address mental health issues. To that end, we leave the messages of hope and empathy from our interviewees for those who just started treatment with medication:

"You're doing it right. Don't rush yourself. Take your time."

"This is a process and it is okay to feel ashamed and vulnerable. This is a journey that will make you progress and feel better."

If you or someone you know needs help:
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255