Relationships June 4, 2018
We need to be more careful about how we talk about mental illness.
Mental illness is a prevalent issue. In America, a documented one in five adults suffers from a mental health condition. Although mental health problems are widespread, society continues to stigmatize them. There are numerous issues relating to mental illness that need more awareness, but one, in particular, is the way we view and discuss medication for mental health.
People who have not experienced mental illness personally or who have not taken medication often voice strong and loud opinions on the matter. These opinions frequently run along the lines of “people shouldn’t take medication for mental illness. They should ‘x, y, z…’ instead” or “I don’t believe in medication for mental illness. People should be able to handle it on their own.”
Not only are these statements somewhat ridiculous, they are also potentially harmful to those who do rely on medication to manage their illness. Statements like the above demonize and look down on an entire group of people. When it comes to mental illness, its time to stop degrading people for their personal medical decisions.
Here are six reasons why it’s inappropriate to tell mentally ill people that you “don’t believe in medication” or some variation of that same sentiment.
The reality of the situation is that, while you may have strong opinions on the issue, the decision of whether or not to go on medication is up to the individual person and their psychiatrist. If you are not that person, their doctor or an immediate family member, you probably shouldn’t be voicing an opinion on the issue at all. It simply doesn’t concern you. Rather than overstepping, respect that the use of medication is a personal choice.
Remember that you are speaking from a completely outside perspective. You can never truly know what another person is feeling or thinking. So, while you may believe that you are coming from a position of knowledge or that you know the person well enough to judge, you can never be fully aware of what they are actually experiencing. You may have personally dealt with mental illness in the past and managed well without medication, but your encounter with mental illness is not someone else’s encounter with mental illness. Everyone’s experience is different and their responding course of action has the right to be different too.
You wouldn’t tell a person with diabetes that you don’t believe in insulin. Nor would you tell someone with a peanut allergy that their Epipen is doing them more harm than good. We clearly recognize how unreasonable it is to criticize the use of medication in these cases. So, why is mental illness any different? Mental illnesses are first and foremost health issues. We need to treat them as such. When someone is sick or dealing with health problems, we encourage them to seek out medical treatment. In certain cases, medication is the preferred method of treatment for people with mental illnesses. This medical decision should be respected as one.
Medication isn’t necessarily the best option for everyone suffering from mental illness. For many people, however, it is a crucial resource to help them live successful lives. Open statements about how harmful you believe medication to be or why you don’t believe in it demonize people who rely on medication. You are implying that they are wrong for choosing medication. In reality, medication for mental illness is not only a viable option but oftentimes the correct course of action.
Opinions against medication often imply that people who take medication do so because they are “lazy,” or aren’t “trying hard enough.” This completely oversimplifies the issue; it reduces mental illness to a simple mindset that people can change with enough willpower. Mental illness is a very real problem and treating it is not as easy as “reframing the way you think.” It is out of line to imply that mentally ill people on medication are just lazy or weak.
In today’s society, there is already a heavy stigma surrounding mental illness. People are often ashamed to admit they suffer from a mental illness. Despite increasing awareness, the topic is still considered taboo. When we start to demonize the use of medication we heighten an already existing stigma. We shame mental health issues and people who suffer from them.
