Confronting the Stigma

In the middle of January after a tumultuous battle with depression and anxiety, my therapist suggested I start taking antidepressants. However, she ultimately left the decision up to me. Back then, I was terrified of going on medication. It made my mental health struggles feel so much more real—as if I was a failure and that my own mind failed to support me. They were no longer just something that consumed me from the inside but something that I needed a physical pill to fix. 

When making my decision, I thought back to just a month when we were learning about mental health in health class. I distinctly remember my class discussing in-depth the various risks and harms associated with antidepressants while only briefly discussing their potential benefits. It was heavily implied that my teacher believed that the dangers of antidepressants outweighed the possible benefits. While this is one way of viewing the topic, I find it is just as important to be factual when explaining the advantages and disadvantages of medication rather than simply sharing horror stories. Remembering this, I began to conduct my own research concerning the history of antidepressants and how they work. I realized that, since their introduction as a prescription drug in the 1950s, antidepressants have had their narrative twisted and their impacts undermined by a variety of factors, creating a stigma that continues to be spread. 

In the 1800s, the feeling of depression was known not as depression but rather melancholia, with common treatments including confinement and rest. Into the mid 1900s, the world witnessed the emergence of lobotomies—a type of procedure that cuts the prefrontal cortex out from the patient’s brain. Lobotomies were targeted toward women. The prominent doctors in the field—Freeman and Watts—performed 75% of their surgeries on female patients. According to a The New York Times article published in 1937, symptoms that tended to improve after a lobotomy included tension, crying spells, and panic states. Historically, women have been associated with mental disorders such as hysteria, anxiety, and depression, so when a woman in the 1900s acted in a non-conforming manner, she was often advised to get lobotomy to fix her abnormalities. This serves as an early example of the associations between mental struggles and weakness. As concerns regarding the morals behind lobotomies rose, the first iterations of the antidepressants we know today were introduced in the latter half of the 1900s.

There are already stigmas around mental health as a whole, with many people incorrectly believing that said struggles are not a medical issue and can be easily fixed through mere willpower. I can say from first-hand experience that this is not true. As I was still deciding whether or not to take the medications, I spoke with my friends and consequently heard many of the common misconceptions surrounding the medications.

Antidepressants face many criticisms—often from those misinformed—that continue to promote the stigma around them and drive people away from a possibly life-changing resource. One common generalization is the dependency on antidepressants—the idea that once you take them, you will be addicted. However, the National Institute of Health states that, “antidepressants do not have a clinically significant liability to cause addiction,” clearly proving that these assumptions are false and damaging. This misconception may stem from the fact that when one stops taking antidepressants, their body might have to adjust—a phenomenon known as antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. 

Although there are incorrect critiques such as the aforementioned, others have some validity to them. For instance, there’s another common belief that people today are overprescribed to these meds, with studies finding that people view them as a “miracle pill”—something that could erase all negative feelings—when they first came out in the public sector, which resulted in their rising popularity. While normalizing antidepressants in order to break the stigma is important, I also acknowledge that as a society, we should not go to the length of normalizing medication to fix whatever negative emotions come our way. Sadness, depression, and distress—whether we like it or not, these emotions are part of what makes us human. Additionally, though this trend of over-prescription may seem harmless, it causes people to invalidate the effectiveness of medication, which then undermines the differences medicine can make for people who genuinely need it in their day-to-day lives.

Through further conversations with my friends, I found that a shared belief they held was the misunderstanding that once on medications, people are no longer themselves. That might be true for some—although it may create feelings of numbness rather than those people no longer being themselves—yet it is impossible to generalize in these scenarios. Each person responds differently to antidepressants, and their response also depends on what specific antidepressant they are on. It is unfair to make a claim that puts everyone on antidepressants under one umbrella. 

In addition to societal factors, there are also cultural factors that contribute to this stigma. From my perspective, the biggest factor is the pressure to appear strong in our society. When one is open to discussing their own struggles, they unfortunately open themselves up to outsiders looking down on them or viewing them as weak. Since COVID-19, there has been more vulnerability with mental struggles via social media. Yet in a 2021 study, Forbes found that 47% of Americans believe seeking professional mental help is a sign of weakness. Seeking professional mental help—whether it be through therapy or medication—is not weakness or submitting to the ails plaguing your mind but in fact the opposite. It takes enormous amounts of courage to actively take steps to better yourself—an effort that should be recognized more. 

Finally, after much deliberation on whether to take the medications suggested to me by my guidance counselor and considering the research I had conducted, I decided to try the antidepressants. After almost four months of taking them and one dosage increase, I can say with full confidence that they have made an insurmountable difference in my life. 

In our school community, we can make a difference too. Whether it be a homeroom period that teaches students about various medications and debunks common misbeliefs or a longer unit in health class that explores the nuances of antidepressants and acknowledges the benefits they can hold, educating students can lead to numerous benefits. It is only through dialogue and exposure that we will be able to discuss more considerable mental health struggles—eventually leading to the destigmatization of mental health. Specifically, the de-stigmatization of medications is vital. I wish to publish this article under my own name without fear that future employers could use my prescription for antidepressants against me because of false narratives and misinformation. 

Overall, antidepressants have changed my life. No longer do I wake up with a cloud of gloom over my head that follows me to school throughout my day and until I go to bed. Rather, I’m excited for my upcoming day. For those currently struggling with mental health and depression, you are seen, you are heard, and you are not alone. I encourage you to speak to a trusted adult—whether it be a teacher, guidance counselor, or parent. Your struggles are real, and they should not be overlooked.