Just the way no two brains are the same, no two health diagnoses will be identical which means no two treatment plans will be alike. Mental health conditions can be a result of several factors including genetics, life experiences, substance abuse as well as poor nutrition. When compared to people who suffer from health conditions like hypertension or cardiovascular diseases, there is no denying that there is a certain stigma that surrounds mental health conditions. Antidepressants and mood-boosting pills have a bad rep but we don’t see the same judgement and shaming being doled out to those who take blood pressure medication or even pain killers. Over the last few years, thanks to public figures talking about their mental health, the stigma around these conditions has dissipated to a certain extent. But the misconceptions around psychiatric medications persist.
The stigma prevents people from reaching out for the life-changing and balancing prescription medications that they need and also stops them from even considering the thought of taking them. Here, six individuals share their experiences with mental health meds, the pros and cons, and a myth that they’d like to dispel.
“I’ve been in therapy for about four years now. I decided to try meds when my anxiety got so out of control that I just couldn’t fall asleep at night. My medication helps to limit the amount of adrenaline that my body produces and my experience with it so far has been largely positive. The pills that I am on don’t leave me with severe side effects and along with narrative therapy sessions and cognitive behavioural therapy, I’ve managed to get a handle on the thought patterns that make me anxious. I sometimes worry that I might have to be on this medication for life because I have noticed the difference it has made in my life. But then again, the medication doesn’t lead to dependency, it just rights the chemical imbalance which may cause depression or anxiety. People have this misconception that just because you’re on medication, you’re ‘fixed.’ No, it takes consistent effort and a solid treatment plan to really work.”
- Rhea*, Teacher, 24
“Before I got on medication for depression, my mood wings were very volatile. I had a few side effects from it like lower enthusiasm to go about my daily activities, lack of sleep low appetite as well as a feeling of numbness and lack of emotions. But thankfully these effects were short-lived and I’m doing much better now. For me, it definitely got worse before it got better.”
- Karan*, Associate Producer, 27
“For me, the journey has been quite tumultuous; there have been struggles as well as moments of relief. I’d tried therapy before and then when my doctor suggested medication, I thought I’d give it a fair shot. The pros became more apparent once my body had adjusted to the medicines. They can be very person-specific but for me, I slept better, my anxiety was more in control and they definitely helped my temporomandibular joint syndrome [read: jaw and headache]. The hardest part for me was the introduction and the adjustment phase because the medication can worsen your symptoms before they rectify them. Being on meds doesn’t ‘fix’ you because the way I see it, there is no ‘fixing’ required. It is a journey because this isn’t like a one-week antibiotic course that you can just get done with. No, it takes time, consistency, and constant effort–but it really is worth all of that.”
- Kanika*, Senior Advertising Partner, 25
“I was wrongly diagnosed with clinical depression for 10 years before a psychiatrist, during the lockdown, last year, told me I had bipolar disorder. She explained to me that I needed medication and that it wouldn’t be addictive after which I started taking meds. The biggest change for me of course was my mood stabilising. Earlier, I would really dwell on things and just be melancholic for days at a stretch. I don’t like how people make a big deal out of taking these prescribed pills. I mean, it’s like any other illness. Just the way you accept that you have a fever or even a bruised knee and work at healing, it’s the same with mental illness.”
-Shivam*, COO, 34
“Four years ago, I started experiencing symptoms of depression. Initially, I thought it was the outcome of emotional trauma but soon I found myself breaking down and crying all day. I couldn’t eat or meet people and even found it difficult to get out of my room. Over time, I lost my confidence and the hope that I’d get out of this. Seeking help was a conscious choice and I consulted a psychiatrist who prescribed me some meds. These really helped me but the dosage increased every 15 days and that worried me. However, over time, the doctor weaned me off them.
Cut to 2020 when the lockdown was imposed: I felt extremely overwhelmed and decided to consult a doctor online. She diagnosed me with depression and recommended some medicines that worked for me within a week. I realised that a combination of therapy, medication and introspection is crucial for my mental health. Identifying the triggers that upset me has also really helped. The biggest myth I want to dispel is that mental health treatments make you dependant on pills. No, they support you only so that you can take care of yourself better!”
-Aisha*, Assistant Editor, 36
“I started taking a low dose medicine for my anxiety two years ago after I realised it was getting debilitating for me. I chose to take them because the anxiety spirals were honestly taking over my day-to-day life–think constant worrying, nervousness, and palpitations. I would often find myself worrying about things that had little to no chance of happening and that would lead to me being stuck in a flight, fight, or frozen state. The only thing that helped before I got on meds was sleeping over my worries. I never minded getting on medicines; after all, I do the same for my physical health and they’ve only improved my quality of life.”
-Meena*, Homemaker, 56
These are personal experiences shared by the individuals. We recommend you to seek medical help immediately if you are unwell.
*All names have been changed on request.