Pills

The stigma against taking pills is real. I’ve heard:

- “I had to take antidepressants once, but I was lucky that I could go off them quickly.”

- “More than a year? You need to get off that stuff.”

- “You just need to…” (look on the bright side/ count your blessings/ develop coping strategies/ visit friends/ etc.).

Here’s my rebuttal:

- I’m different. And that’s okay.

- My doctor isn’t concerned about my long-term use.

- Pills enable me to look on the bright side/ count my blessings/ develop coping strategies/ visit friends, etc. When my brain chemistry is off, these all feel impossible.

A teacher at the next high school over committed suicide this past weekend. I didn’t know her, but I wonder if the stigmas against mental illness and medication affected her. They certainly couldn’t have helped.

This is my effort to chip away at the stigma: I have mental illness, and medication helps me manage it.

The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255

The Crisis Clinic of King County operates a confidential, free, 24-hour crisis line for anyone in crisis in the area: 1-866-4-CRISIS (1-866-427-4747) or 206-461-3222.