A lot of people think that medicine is a simple remedy for a temporary problem. You begrudgingly pop an ibuprofen for a headache or an Aleve for cramps. You groan at the doctor when you have to take medicine for the next week to get rid of that nasty virus. It can be a pain, but you do it because it's temporary and because it will make you feel better or "normal" again. But, what happens when the medicine is for something that isn't necessarily temporary, like treatments for chronic illnesses or mental illnesses? What happens when you have to take medicine every day, possibly multiple times a day, just to try and feel a twinge of relief or normality?
People who take prescriptions for whatever long-term ailments they have are prone to get emotionally torn at times. We are used to getting better and leaving pills or injections behind, but many "invisible" illnesses don't allow for that to happen. As someone who takes anxiety medicine and birth control (for health reasons) and that knows many people close to me who have daily prescriptions, this thing that is sort of routine becomes taxing and almost... embarrassing. You think about your neurotypical friends or able-bodied friends who go about their days just fine, but you have to put in some extra effort to even try to be some type of "normal." What's worse is that the medicine doesn't always make you feel like you can fit in; you might still have symptoms that prevent you from doing simple tasks or going to events. You start to feel different from everybody else and secluded. You get judged by people who think they "know it all" and ridicule you for not just "getting over it." You start to wonder why you keep taking medicine to fix some problem that may not ever go away when you get judged for it. Sometimes it might even get to you that you purposefully stop taking your meds, which a lot of us know never ends well. This is not what should be happening.
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The stigma surrounding prescription usage for invisible and mental illnesses can be a hard pill to swallow, but I want to encourage anyone out there who faces it to just keep pushing on. You take medicine for a reason, and you shouldn't be made to feel ashamed because your body and mind works differently than other people's. This is your way of taking care of yourself, and that is not "weak" of you to do. And if a medicine isn't doing anything for you, talk to a doctor and continue to find help as needed. You can do this.
You may be different from what people consider "normal," but that doesn't mean you can't thrive and come to terms your own "normal." You might have to slow down and take life one day at a time a lot more often than some, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Make the most of it. Find patient friends who are willing to consider your needs and accept you for who you are; find people fighting the same battles you are who understand what you go through. When you feel like you are dealt a poor hand in life, make the most of the game.
And please, please always take care of your needs before batting an eye to the egos and misinformed biases of others.
