Many of us have heard variations on the same sentiments about mental health medications: don’t use drugs to feel happy. Medication is unnatural. Those things are for the really crazy people.

But those sentiments are insensitive and ignorant. It’s not that everyone wants antidepressants all of a sudden because selfish millennials don’t know the joy of hard work, it’s just that modern medicine is allowing more people relief than ever before.

Yes, diet, exercise, and therapy can be incredibly helpful, but it can be hard to get to all that if the horrible pain of mental illness isn’t held at bay. People need to be able to get out of bed before they’re able to take up yoga.

To people that take a medication -- you are in no way alone. You are beautiful and wonderful and deserve every great thing life has to offer. But sometimes, the playing field has to be levelled a bit.

I am still learning to accept the help I need for my own mental health issues, and figuring out what works for me. I need an antidepressant in order to function to the best of my ability, and that’s just how it is.

As part of removing the stigma around mental health in general, I think an important step is lessening the stigma around taking a mental health medication. It’s just like taking medicine for something physical.

Please, don’t struggle more than you have to. I love you all.