Pills & Potions : Defending Meds

May 6

May 6 Pills & Potions : Defending Meds

Weird right? That I have to defend taking medication? People won’t judge you for taking an Advil for your hangover or a Z-pack for your strep throat. Hell, most people won’t judge you if you decide to roll at *insert genre of choice music festival*. (This is a judgement free zone but please, Roll Responsibly.) So why is it that when people with mental illnesses disclose that they're on meds, they’re faced with a barrage of misinformed bullshit? Because of this lil thing called "stigma" or the perceived negative attribute used to devalue a person. Despite holding a degree in Psychology, it took 9 years from my original diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder for me to agree to start medication. It took hitting rock bottom, digging a little deeper and living there for 4 months to finally overcome the stigma I apparently internalized. And it was life changing. So when your “well-meaning”, non-medical degree holding, - friend, parent, coworker, etc. tries to criticize you for taking pills as a part of your treatment plan, don’t let them discourage you from getting the care you need. Feel free to refer them to this list of common medication misconceptions gleaned from personal experience. Or flip them off. Your call, I won’t judge.

1. "Taking medication is dangerous/addictive/unnatural"- Google is not a medical degree and you are not my doctor. While I can fake-appreciate your fake concern, believe it or not, there are some things that coconut oil can’t fix. I’m all about the holistic approaches and all but when it comes to my brain, I rather take FDA approved meds prescribed by my doc than unregulated supplement filled with god knows what from god knows where. Remember kids, just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s safe.

2. "Have you tried praying, yoga, exercising,instead?" - Don’t get me wrong, these are all things that can have powerful positive impacts on one’s life, but sometimes it’s not enough. It’s not a personal failure on your part if your mood disorder isn’t cured after marathon praying or the yoga retreat that cured your neighbor’s aunt’s cousin from around the way. Every one’s illness, disorder, treatment, routines, are different and may require different levels and types of treatment. Who knew!

3. "You’ll be on pills forever"- For many mental illnesses, your treatment plans include how and when you’ll be weaned off. It’s not a forever thing, but a let’s make life bearable so we can learn how to cope in healthy ways…thing. But even if you are in it for the long haul, that is not at all something to be ashamed of.

4.You’re taking the easy way out- Would you tell someone in a cast that using crutches or a wheel chair is taking the easy way out? Besides, treating mental illness isn’t easy. Taking meds lightens the burden and may make things easier but easy? Never that.

I can go on and on and on. With it being Mental Health Awareness Month and less than a day after the abomination that is the American Health Care Act was passed in the House, it’s crucial, now more than ever, that people #SilenceTheShame and #StampOutStigma. One out of five people in the US experience mental illness each year, that means someone you know, love, or care for might be struggling right now. The pharmaceutical route is not for everyone but if you find it’s right for you, there should be no shame in your legally obtained drug game. Whether it’s speaking out or being a support system, we can all do our part to stop the shame and stigma around mental illness.

Most Recent Post

Featured

Jun 5, 2020

Self Care in the Time of Revolution (& Pandemic)

Jun 5, 2020

Instagram

@TheEllery

My face when my coworker says he’s feeling ‘so ADD right now’.🙄 This happened a month ago but I see a lot of people saying it now that they’re working from home. Having ADHD means SO much more than not being able to concentrate. 💩, I wish that was my only problem 😭. Fun Fact: There is a movement to rename ADHD/ADD to Executive Function Disorder which encompasses way more symptoms of ADHD that people forget about. Like low impulse control, disorganization, trouble planning and prioritizing, low frustration tolerance, rejection sensitivity, hyper focus, etc etc. So if you’re struggling with #WFH consider its because you’ve thrown out of your normal schedule and are dealing with a lot of fear and uncertainty that’s making it hard to concentrate on the work in front of you! It’s a huge adjustment and we’re all understandably struggling with it (but it’s prob not ADD) #theellery #mentalhealthmatters #adhd

This post felt impossible to write. Grief is hard to talk about and no one wants to say the wrong thing, which usually means we say nothing at all. I don’t know if these were the right words to say but I hope this attempt starts conversations for those who feel like they don’t have the language to talk about #grief and #loss Link in bio ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ #theellery #mentalhealthmatters

How I plan to spend #blackhistorymonth Reading black books and black books only. And Heavy by @kieselaymon is a perfect way to start. And it is ‘heavy’ to say the least. His memoir runs the gamut of the types of pain that black people and black bodies endure but I think this is the first book I’ve read that includes a black man exhibiting disordered eating. These narratives are SO important because when we talk #eatingdisorders we tend to default to anorexia and the obsessive ballerina. Meanwhile #ednos is SO much more than that. BED or binge eating disorder is the most common #eatingdisorder and characterized by not being able to control eating large amounts of food at once. Up to 40% of people seeking weight loss treatment can be clinically dx’d with BED. Thank you for your narrative @kieselaymon and for helping fight the stigma around mental health. #theellery #noshamenostigma #mentalhealthmatters #ednos #blackbooks #blackauthors #blackwriting #blacknarratives

Wrote some words for those who need them. Linked in Bio or TheEllery.com/kobebryant #theellery #ripkobe

This means people, jobs, cities and situations. But for some reason people don’t acknowledge how difficult it is to cut off family members. Or quit. Or move. So I’ll preface this advice with this: protect yourself and your energy until you get that opportunity to extract yourself from what doesn’t serve you. Remember that it’s temporary and there’s no shame in making a plan first. Do it in your time and in your own way. #theellery #mentalhealthmatters ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ 📸by @blcksmth @amberruffin

I came I read I conquered 📚 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Crushed my goal of 100 books last year. What did I learn? Probably won’t look to stuff 100 books into 365 days any time soon. Too many words, too little time. As a research analyst I’m all about the #data and tracking so I’m letting my 2019 book list (link in bio!) inform my goals for 2020. This 113 book journey taught me that I want to read more #blackauthors more #fiction and more physical books. What are some titles I need to add to my must read list? 🤓 #theellery #bookstagram #goodreads

Self-advocacy•the action of representing oneself’s views or interest 🧵 by @badasscrossstitch ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ You’d think in being a mental health advocate I’d find it easy to advocate for myself (I wish). But just like everything else that’s important in life, they don’t teach you how to do this in school. Self advocacy is SO important to practice, because we deserve to be the one’s in the driver’s seat of our lives. In the same way that doctors, professors, and other authorities are experts in their field, remember that you’re the World’s Leading Expert in You. If you don’t feel that way, then spend some time getting to know yourself- your needs, wants, desires, dreams. Then understand the rights that you have as a human person in this world. You deserve to have your pain, safety, dreams, career, everything, taken seriously. But since that’s not the reality for most, advocate for yourself (and others!) early, and often. Maybe we can get a little more out of this life #theellery #advocacy #selfadvocacy #MLK

One of my 2020 goals is to read more physical books. Last year I read a ton, and it was achievable in part because of the convenience factor. No matter where I was I’d have easy access to e-books and audiobooks on my phone and my kindle fits in my parka pocket. But this year I want to read with intention- and get back the ability to put down my phone and justlose myself in a good story. I also want to read through all the gorgeous hardcovers that I’ve bought and haven’t read yet, meaning I’ll finally be reading @Kieslelaymon @eve.ewing @roxanegay74 @tressiemcphd and @wellreadblackgirl . But first, #queenie by @candicec_w #theellery #wellreadblackgirl #bookstagram

“People who are outed feel blindsided and forced to reveal a deeply personal part of their identity without their consent and under someone else’s terms. Coming out is a process and can be a difficult time for someone because of discrimination, homophobia, or potential marginalization from their families and community at large. People must choose for themselves how and when to come out.”- @thetaskforce ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ @nikkietutorials was being blackmailed by someone threatening to out her by being #trans . Transphobia and homophobia is still alive and well, so not only is outing someone a MAJOR violation of their privacy, it can be incredibly dangerous. Many members of the LGBTQ community can face loss of relationships, jobs, healthcare, and overall safety when outed. So while @nikkietutorials is handling this with beauty + grace, let’s not forget that this didn’t happen on her terms and that’s pretty f*cked up #theellery #mentalhealthmatters

Happy and joyful ✨✨✨✨ Have you ever considered the difference? Happiness is caused by things and events, external stuff. Joy is something intentional and comes from within. It comes with sitting in and recognizing the little things. The things that are so easy to rush past when you’re running through life. It takes practice but you can start at anytime. And @mariekondo says ‘things’ count so this hat is my #joyoftheday #theellery #joyful

Hi!

May 6 Pills & Potions : Defending Meds

Oct 5 National Depression Screening Day

Apr 30 Thirteen Reasons Why