Why are people ashamed to take anti-depressants?
April 10th, 2010
My friend called the other night. She had just been to the doctors and had been recommended strongly to begin a course of anti-depressants. The reason for her call was that she needed reassurance that it was the right thing to do- she felt ashamed about taking the pills. This is a pretty common feeling. I had it myself for a long time.
The shame comes from the belief that taking medication makes you officially mentally unstable (true, but with the help of drugs hopefully not for much longer), that it is proof you cannot manage on your own (accepting help is not however, a sign of weakness, but of strength), that people will think less of you if they find out (you don't need to tell anyone if you don't want to. If you do and they think less of you, perhaps you need to assess how beneficial a relationship with them really is) and that if you start taking them you might never stop (can't reassure you on that point- I'm still on mine after seven years).
I hope and pray that my friend starts taking the meds the doctor has proscribed for her, because they might make all the difference, and I am longing for her to feel better. Life is hard enough without deciding the very thing that might make it a bit easier is shameful.
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Lisa~ April 10th, 2010 ~ 18:04I'm in year three of mine. I've started being pretty open about it because I want to help remove the stigma. I want people to see that I’m a regular person.
I think we need to be open about depression and increase awareness that it's a medical condition, not something that’s lacking in our character. We wouldn't see taking heart medication as weakness and so it’s extremely unfair that society can view depression and anti-depressants as a sign of weakness.
Of course, in the early, messy days of depression, we often really don’t feel able or equipped to share and it’s only when we’re stabilised that we feel we can. I would love for all of us who are past that initial point to be really open about our illness and treatment in order to pave the way for those in the initial, difficult stages; to make it possible for them to share without fear of judgement. And of course, it’s those early days when we need support the most.
Thank you, Jo, for ‘Through the Dark Woods’. It has been instrumental in me opening up more.
Jo
~ April 14th, 2010 ~ 12:04I'm glad that you are doing your bit to tackle stigma. One funny thing I find is that often when I confess to someone that I take anti-depressants they turn out to be taking them too. The club has a lot of secret members. Love to you x
Lisa~ April 15th, 2010 ~ 03:04It's so true!
~ May 13th, 2010 ~ 21:05im a new mum myself, quite young only 22 when i had my son, i thought everything was great till 5 weeks after birth when depression slid in, i was lucky to have a friends family diagnose me but now i hate taking tablets and miss them which makes me 10 times worse, i love my son to pieces but missing my meds doesnt help him, i know the shame we can all feel but do it for your children they deserve it, they need us more than anyone x
Jo
~ May 15th, 2010 ~ 18:05I'm so glad that the meds are making a difference to you. PND is really common, and it is not surprising really when you think about what looking after a new baby involves, the trauma of birth and the change in your identity and role etc. Thanks for sharing- I am sure what you said will be an encouragement to other people.
