When Medication Change Feels Like Failure

The dreaded discussion.

The one where your psychiatrist and you discuss the option of adding medication to your routine or increasing the dosing of a current medication to help support your mental health and well-being.

Despite the fact that this is likely a GOOD thing that will help support you being your best self, we often times see it or feel it as an indication of something that we are doing wrong or that our bodies are doing wrong. A malfunction, a laziness, a wire crossed wrong that reflects poorly on who we are and how others will see us moving forward.

In 2019, 15.8% of adults in the United States had taken medication for their mental health.

In a 2021 Household Pulse Survey done by the CDC, these amounts have risen to upwards of 24% of adults in the United States taking psychiatric medications for their mental health. (See CDC Survey here for explanation of how this survey does differ from other statistics done in the past.)

It’s hard to believe that in a society where almost 1/4 of its individuals takes psychiatric medications there is still such a harsh stigma embedded into mental illness and the act of taking medications for mental illness.

Not shocking, these statistics would likely be higher if everyone had easy and direct access to healthcare!

Throughout history, humans have evolved and our lives have evolved in drastic ways that our natural bodies and evolution never really accounted for. In my opinion, it’s a miracle when someone doesn’t need medication!

This topic reflects my own recent struggle with my thoughts about the increase of one of my medications, Risperdal.

Risperdal is an antipsychotic, most notably used for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Hearing that I’m at a point where I’m more at risk for psychosis and should think about increasing my dose for awhile made me feel instantly like I was doing something wrong, my body was not doing what it should be, and left me feeling isolated and alone in my thoughts.

Quite frankly, I felt “crazy.” Alone. And crazy.

These feelings and thoughts have been instilled in us through the stigmatization of mental illness and taking medications for mental illness, not only in the United Stated, but across the world.

A report done by NIH stated, “There is no country, society or culture where people with mental illness have the same societal value as people without a mental illness.”

This is a staggering realization when you think about just how easy it is to stumble into a bad day, and how easy it is for that bad day to keep going, turning into weeks and even months before you fully realize that something may actually be seriously wrong.

Medication is a tool that physicians can use to help us live our best, most accomplished and successful life. Yet, with mental health, this tool is often times seen negatively and regarded as shameful when your doctor suggests you need medications for your mental health or you could potentially benefit from them.

The best tool we have for fighting the stigma of mental illness and medication starts with us.

In the same NIH study cited previously, they acknowledge that previous studies have shown that one of the best ways to fight stigma is through “contact” - meaning through discussion with those who battle mental illness every day.

First though, we have to be strong enough to face the battle within our own self.

Believing that you’re good enough, that your life is meaningful, regardless of whether you have mental illness or not, regardless if you take medication for that mental illness or not. Your life has a purpose and you should be doing everything in your power to help support every day of your life being the best that it can be.

Arming yourself with facts first and knowing the benefits can help alleviate anxiety around taking them:

• The overall suicide rate increased 30% between 2018-2020. This rate would be higher without the intervention and use of medication for mental health disorders.
  

• In many cases, short term use of psychiatric medications is all someone needs to improve their symptoms and health. But choosing whether you want to continue medication long-term shouldn’t be a decision driven by the impact of the stigma surrounding you.
  

• 66% of all adults in the United States take a prescription medication of some kind for their health, which is a majority of Americans. The only difference between taking a medication for a physical illness and a mental illness is the stigma attached.
  

• Combined pharmacological, therapy, and psychosocial treatments and supports are highly effective and have a 70-90% improvement in quality of life and reduction of symptoms.

In my own struggle with medication and meaning, it’s been important for me to keep in mind that antipsychotics (one of the medications that are most stigmatized and shamed) have been proven to reduce suicide in patients with schizophrenia. Although I don’t have schizophrenia, Schizotypal Disorder is considered a schizophrenia spectrum illness and has a lot of of the same symptoms but at a less severe level. The treatments used for Schizotypal Disorder are the same ones used for schizophrenia and if I allowed stigma to dictate the way I treat my mental illness, the consequences could be devastating and even fatal.

The majority of stigmatization is upheld through the spread of misinformation and myths about mental illness.

Putting yourself and your needs first is the first step towards fighting back.

Improving symptoms, feeling well, and taking care of yourself will go a long way in empowering you and your voice.

If you feel safe and able, being vocal about your reality and the truth of mental illness can go a long way in reducing stigma and making the discussion surrounding mental illness a much easier conversation to have.

Be empowered. Be open. Be vocal. Share your story and bring more awareness to the reality of mental illness.

Be the support you hope to see elsewhere in the world. And always remember, you matter.