It’s Okay to Take Drugs!*

Many people don’t like the idea of needing to take medication, especially when it comes to mental health.

People think you have to be “crazy” to need prescription medication for mental health disorders, or think it makes them “weak”.  

At Handel Behavioral Health, we often hear people say:

• “I should be able to do this on my own.”
• “I don’t want to depend on medication.”
• “I don’t want to feel like a zombie!”

And these fears can become rationalized when you search online for a list of psychiatric medications on the market; you’re likely to read horror stories about side effects, addiction, or people who had a bad experience with taking medications.

It’s perfectly valid to be concerned, but not every medication works the same for everyone, and it’s important to talk to your doctor about your concerns before buying into the stigma of medication.

The truth is: Psychiatric medications can be life-changing for many people living with Anxiety Disorders, Depression, ADHD, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, OCD, and other mental health conditions.

Why Is There So Much Stigma Around Mental Health Medication?

Research shows that public stigma of psychiatric medications remains one of the biggest barriers preventing people from seeking mental health treatment. People with mental illness often face negative stereotypes, discrimination, and judgment, which can make them hesitant to ask for help, nevertheless pursue therapy and medication.

There are several factors that contribute to the stigma of taking medication for Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, and other mental health conditions:

1. “I Don’t Want to Take Pills.”

Many people simply dislike the idea of taking a pill every day.

With the growing distrust in pharmaceutical companies, fear-mongering over “ingredients you can’t pronounce”, and a rise of homeopathic medicines, the stigma around medication for mental health is even stronger.

This language about preferring natural treatments and lifestyle changes over medications can be harmful to those who do have to take them, and this stigma has even begun to affect those who are taking medication for physical illness. 

While natural remedies can be incredibly helpful, mental health treatment is more complex than taking Vitamin D and B12.

It can also be dangerous to take new or obscure supplements without consulting your doctor about possible side effects and interactions with other vitamins, medications, and pre-existing conditions.

 

2. “Mental Illness is a Choice.”

When someone takes antidepressants or anxiety medication, they may face criticism or assumptions that they should simply “try harder” or “snap out of it,” leading them to feeling like their mental illness is a personal failure.

Telling someone with severe depression to “just get out of bed” is about as effective as telling someone with asthma to “just breathe harder.”

While thoughts, behaviors, environment, and coping skills certainly matter, mental health conditions also have biological components.

Research consistently shows that genetics, brain chemistry, family history, and neurological differences can contribute to conditions such as:

• Major depressive disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder
• ADHD
• Bipolar disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Mental illness is not a choice. Mental health conditions are medical conditions; there is nothing wrong with taking medicine for them.

3. “There’s Too Many Side Effects.”

One of the most common concerns about antidepressants and other psychiatric medications is the possibility of side effects.

This fear is understandable; every medication has very real, potential side effects. And those commercials that list them at 2x speed while showing the happiest person you’ve ever seen, don’t exactly sit right with most people.

The extreme stories you read online or hear from friends and family are often the only ones making headlines. Happy people are much less likely to post their success stories online because they’re busy having fulfilling lives.

More often than not, the benefits outweigh the most common side effects, and the worst are quite rare, and you would immediately stop taking it (like when I was the 1 in 1,000 to get Stevens-Johnson Syndrome from a medication, thus making 999 other people safe, because that’s how statistics work… I think).

A skilled psychiatric provider will explain the potential risks and benefits, and work collaboratively with you to find the best treatment plan (and when you text them about your rash, they’ll want a picture because in their 30+ years in psychiatry, they’d never seen it).

4. “I Don’t Want to Lose My Sparkle.”

Many people worry that they won’t feel like themselves anymore.

While yes, those poems you’ve been writing may become a little less dark and angsty, the right psychiatric medication will not inherently change your personality or emotionally blunt you.

When depression, anxiety, panic attacks, or severe ADHD symptoms interfere with daily life, medication can help reduce those symptoms so that you can function more like yourself again.

Many people are able to go back to doing the things they once enjoyed and describe feeling more present, motivated, focused, and emotionally balanced.

5. “There’s Not Enough Research”

Another common misconception is that antidepressants and other psychiatric medications are experimental or poorly researched.

In reality, many psychiatric medications have been studied for decades.

Many SSRIs and stimulant medications for ADHD have decades of research supporting their effectiveness and safety, with Prozac (fluoxetine) being approved in 1987.

Modern medication management also includes more comprehensive diagnosis, ongoing monitoring, research and safety reviews.

While newer medications continue to be developed, psychiatric treatment is not a new field. And with more and more options for medications, with fewer and fewer side effects, the opportunities for success are abundant.

6. “If Therapy Works, You Shouldn’t Need Medication”

One of the biggest myths in mental health is the idea that therapy and medication are mutually exclusive.

But the truth is that the most successful treatment plans include a mix of both!

Therapy can help people:

• Develop coping skills
• Improve relationships
• Process trauma
• Challenge negative thinking patterns
• Build healthy habits

Medication can help relieve the symptoms that can prevent you from engaging in therapy and healthy lifestyle changes.

In many cases, medication isn’t doing most of the heavy lifting; it just takes a load off so you can do the work and finish the job yourself.

What Medication Management Actually Looks Like

Many people imagine psychiatric treatment as receiving a prescription after a five-minute appointment.

Good psychiatric care is much more thoughtful than that. And here at HBH, you, your therapist, and your psychiatric provider can work together to ensure appropriate evaluation and management to determine what’s best for you.

Medication management typically involves:

• A comprehensive psychiatric evaluation
• Discussion of symptoms and goals
• Review of medical history
• Exploration of therapy and lifestyle factors
• Ongoing monitoring of effectiveness
• Adjustments when needed
• Collaborative decision-making

We don’t slap labels on everyone and push pills here — we create treatment plans that work.

Looking for a Psychiatric Medication Prescriber in Massachusetts?

There is no prize for suffering longer than necessary; there is no “trauma olympics” to medal in.

If this article has broken your stigmas against using drugs, and you’re wondering if maybe medication or therapy might be right for you, call us.

Here at HBH, our Mental Health Psychiatry Nurse Practitioners, (MHPNP) are available to work in tandem with your therapist to find a treatment approach that’s right for you.

Tamara Cafaro, PMHNP is available for telehealth online or in-person from our Amherst, Massachusetts office and Mercy Mbuthia, PMHNP is available telehealth online or in-person from our Natick, Massachusetts office

To start working with a psychiatric prescriber today, contact us at (413) 343-4357 or request an appointment online.

 

Further Reading:

Mercy Mbuthia, PHMNP

Not Just a Quick Fix: Tamara Cafaro, PHMNP in Massachusetts

Psychiatry and Medication Management at HBH

 

About The Author