First things first. Having mental health issues does not mean you are broken. Taking a day off of work because you have a cold and taking a day off of work because you need a mental break needs to be treated as the same thing... a sick day. Needing a mental break means you are human, it does not mean that you cannot handle stressful situations, or that you are not cut out for the job. It means that you are strong enough to know when your body and mind need a break and smart enough to give it that break it needs.
Just like physical ailments, mental health concerns should be treated with seriousness. Taking medicine for an upset tummy seems normal, but there is still a stigma around medication for mental illness. The meme out there I hate the MOST is the one that says taking a walk in nature rather than taking your mental illness medication will help your anxiety or depression. That is dangerous. That was written by someone who does truly understand what mental illness is.
Everyone human is different, so medication may not be the answer for your mental illness, however it is the answer for a lot of people. Finding a medication that works well for your mental illness is a relief in so many ways. It gives you a chance to feel comfortable without taking away a sense of your true self. It is lifesaving.
When I found prozac my whole world opened up to different possibilities. I could do things without my heart rate elevating. Imagine any simple task elevating your heart rate for no reason and how taxing that would be your body. Now imaging finding a pill that relieves you of that. I didn't realize life could be lived any differently. Prozac showed my body that it didn't have to live that way and for that I am thankful for it.
I was worried that people would find out about me taking prozac. Gasp! What would they think of me!?! But when I saw Carrie Fisher's prozac pill urn when she sadly passed, it made me think differently about it. She was a fucking legend. So taking prozac will not keep me or anyone else for that matter from being a fucking legend.
Clint Brewer/Splash News
Todd Fisher carries sister Carrie's Prozac-pill urn.
Please keep a look out for my 3 Part Mental Health & PCOS Writing Series at PCOSAA.org coming soon. I will be talking about how hormones vs. social influences affect your mental health. Mental health is a serious condition and if you need help please visit the resources below for more information. You are never alone.
For emergencies:
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
https://mentalhealth.gov/get-help/immediate-help
For more information:
https://mentalhealth.gov/get-help
💗 Jennifer
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