By Megan Ruge
Managing editor of content
In the last year, my life has changed drastically. I finally admitted to myself that I was having a problem with my mental health, something I have been denying for a long time and embraced the institution of medication.
Many of the people around me were medicated for mental health reasons and were benefiting greatly, it just took me a really long time to get there myself.
No, my wait was not sensible, not responsible or good. For me, the wait to medicate was because of the stigma surrounding medicating for mental health reasons.
I grew up with a parent who feared medication, something that had started partly because of my multitude of health problems and partly because they were part of the group who stigmatized medicating for mental health issues.
Often, my parent would alienate me, telling me my issues weren’t real. I would have panic attacks and not know what was happening to me because I was continually told nothing was wrong with me and when I began to struggle with depression I just assumed that some people were meant to just not be happy.
When I finally made the move to medicate, it changed my whole life. At that point, I made it my mission to break the stigma on medication.
There are so many myths about taking psychotropic medications and it is important to understand what is fact and what is fiction.
A common misconception about medicating is that it is the easy way out, but this isn’t always necessarily the case. The American Psychiatric Association suggests that a mix between medical treatment and psychotherapy is the most effective way to treat mental health conditions.
It is also believed that psychotropic medications are addictive, but this, too, is a myth. The misunderstanding comes from the fact that stopping a psychotropic medication can cause the body to experience withdrawal symptoms because the body undergoes changes to adapt to these drugs.
The withdrawal period in no way reflects addiction and does not result in cravings. Instead these symptoms mirror a severe cold or mild flu.
The idea that psychotropic medications make you feel like a zombie is also a myth. This is associated mostly with ADHD medication but is often assumed about other mental health medications as well. Health care professionals are trained to evaluate and prescribe the correct medication for you.
The medication that works for you should not, and, in most cases, will not, make you feel like a zombie or change your personality in any way.
It is important to challenge the stigma on mental health and medicating. 30 percent of people living with depression are not seeking help and the stigma against depression and other mental health issues is hindering many of these people.
Supporting what people are going through is an important part of being a citizen of the world.
The editorials of The Quill reflect the views of individual members of the editorial board. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire editorial board or of the university. The content of the Forum page is the responsibility of the editor in chief and the Forum editor.
