How often do people meet someone with a mental illness who is slacking on responsibilities? How often do we silently direct the following thoughts towards him/her. buck up. Everyone faces hard things- this isn’t any different. Strengthen your resolve and you can get over this. This sounds harsh, but many of us- myself included- have been guilty of this attitude.
Have you ever met someone resistant to taking his/her medication for a mental illness? From personal experience, here are some of the things running through that person’s mind: I need to buck up. Everyone has hard things; how is my illness any different? I need to strengthen my resolve and will myself to get over this.
Modern research and technology have given those who suffer with mental illness a gift. Medication allows us to function at full capacity and reach our highest potential. Often, however, the general world view of mental illness makes us ashamed to accept the gift we’ve been give that is there to help regulate our brain. We forget that mental illness is not a choice. It is biological.
This summer, when I went to the OCD and Anxiety Treatment Center in Bountiful, I asked the director if he thought I could eventually get off medication after therapy. He told me that’s not the goal. The goal is for best quality of life, and for many with mental illness, that’s a lifetime of medication combined with therapy.
One of my best friends, @shaunacmcg , told me about a hashtag, “myfavoritemeds”, that is a campaign to end the stigma behind taking medication. This picture is my sertraline (generic Zoloft) that helps me be the real me.
No comments:
Post a Comment