Why is medication so frowned upon?

I don't think anyone can say meds are good or bad. It's just what works for you. Personally I don't take meds and never plan to , therpay works for me and is much safer. I get the same kind of venom for not choosing meds. Theres no right or wrong, or failure or success, do whatever works

Hi..I have been on medication for many, many years...on the highest dose, I must admit they probably saved my life....

I have three sons who all have mental health problems. They also will take medication for life....and i have to say that once on medication, they have got their lives back....

I have no problem with medication...at all....if you are in pain, you take pain relief without a second thought...so ditto to antidepressants and antipsychotics...

Try not to worry about what others think, it is not a weakness in any way...people cannot tell anyway that you are taking them...

Please, put yourself first, they do help, I am on six medications for various problems, and the highest dose of antidepressants...your health, and very importantly , peace of mind must come first....I truly wish you well and send you warm, and sincere hugs,

....dee xx

I think it's goes back to past times and being a bit 'mad' hence so many are so reluctant to admit they have mental health problems and taking medication is accepting it. We have moved on thankfully but unfortunately there is a stigma that lingers. In an ideal world it would be great to have therapy and anxiety is managed but it's not that simple. I think when anxiety gets so bad there is a chemical and hormonal imbalance, this is where medication can help. Think it also depends on your personality, and how you deal with things.

I dont think meds are frowned upon at all. They are given out like candy by doctors. There are 250 million people using anxiety meds. 40 million on benzos. The stigma does still exist though. It seems the younger generation is very anxiety ridden on the whole which is scary and they arent stigmatizing it. It is handled terribly by the medical field i think they need to be taught a lot more about mental illness and all take a course in it and nutrition. You do what works for you, it is a choice.sometimes it is needed and that is okay too. As we speak 26% of the world is dealing with some kind of anxiety related disorder. What needs to change is the care, the care itself isnt up to par. Every person who recieves medicine should recieve full knowledge of the medicine and why they are on it and noted to join it with some useful therapy. Cbt should be taught in every single middle school. It will help with or without anxiety and calm down many issues at a young age. Cbt or group meetings should exist at the local libraries and be easy accessible to anyone and everyone. Every government should recognize the disability level and the money it costs to deal with mental illness is very high and its more cost effective to provide easily accessable mental help. In regards to cbt at least or health related skills and tools. There should never be any waiting lists for anyone. Not even that expensive to provide all that. Its proper attention and care to human beings. It is as important as a gym class and a healthy lunch..its mental health and i have no clue why so many stigmatize it anymore. It is just too common in this day and age so people need to wake up. They got gym in schools they can very well get in cbt and mental health strategies. It all goes back to survival of fittest and the animal extinct to pull away from each other if something is wrong with them. Look at the animal kingdom and how they handle each other..we are animals and i guess not everyone and all parts of many humans have evolved just yet. You do what is best for you, it is a choice and who cares who tells you otherwise. It is a choice. There are many choices and some intertwine to get the best outcome. One day if they have a pill that truly works and can reset the whole fight or flight scenario somehow it will be the most used medicine in Earth. That im sure. 

Hi hun, I have just been prescribed Sertraline I fought long and hard not to go on them, but I am not doing well without them , so what have I got to lose, I know of a lot of people in their 70 s and 80 s who have been on some sort of anti depressent for life, and they seem to cope better on them than off, as my friend said to me today, if a person has a broken leg they use crutches so what s the difference, I have had family issues, and no back up for years and years, and I just feel so worn down and worn out, I trust my doctor so am going for it, I am so sorry you feel as you do, but they really are not a sign of weakness, I think its a sign of strength to get help and admit you may need it, good luck huni , never say you feel weak , you are doing so well to recognise that you may need some help xxx Good luck to both of us in life hun x

I had once said that if needed i will continue with medication for the rest of my life. And i meant it. Psychotherapy had absolutely no bearing on my GAD because the chemical imbalance was so major. I was in fact told by each doctor who saw me that they are confused because my psychological state is normal and my responses are fine but the anxiety symptoms kept worsening regardless. I didn't believe i was actually fixable as nothing seemed to help, until i got given a medicine that actually worked at a dosage that actually worked. Once i started to regroup there was no issue in my mind. I'd rather be medicated until the end and function than be lost as i was. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of a disorder. If you are a diabetic you don't have a choice but to take insulin. If you have high BP you have no choice but take meds. I have no hang-ups about it and i found that most people responded positively to my decision because i feel comfortable with the idea and it sort of filters through to them. I have met many people who attempted to push through their opinions how exercise, diet and relaxation techniques would work and how medicine is poison. I always say that this is much the same as some fresh air helps with a mild cough but for pneumonia you tend to actually need antibiotics and cortisone nebulizers! They always retreat. As it turned out after 12 years on it i was taken off medication. Therapy was very successful and my brain picked up at the right pace at some point. It has been over 3 years now. If i ever have to go back on it i will certainly not feel like a failure. I am grateful that i know I can be ok either way. we are lucky to have the option i think.

Tell me,why you are even rolling this around,are you serious. I am on meds for life.Would not even ever consider going off meds,  because I was a nervous child and grow into a anxious, panic adult. It's a chemical imbalance,although I believe a trumatic event can bring this on. I don't know  anyone that thinks this is a sign of weakness. In fact, half the people I know are on them. It's no one's business in the first place. Your only hurting yourself. I sure as heck wouldn't want to live in a state of constant angst. It's hell on earth. Do yourself a favor and get back on them, My goodness, stop the madness.

Anxiety disorder is an illness just like any other.Had you an infection, say, then you would not hesitate to take antibiotics so why should anxiety disorder be any different?

Therapy works for some and not for others so you should not judge medication as a sign of weakness. Struggling along without any assistance harms no one but yourself. If you accept that you have a problem, without shame, then you are taking control. If others see it as a weakness, as a mental illness then that's their problem and their lack of empathy.

You have to ignore what you perceive to be the opinions of others and do what is best for you and if medication is the help you need then so be it. To all those who regard anxiety/panic disorder as a stigma then I say, Walk a day in my shoes. They'd soon change their minds I can tell you!

You are tired because you are struggling without seeing a way out of your illness, and I stress it is an illness. Struggle no more. Do what is best for you and that which makes life, and coping with your illness, better, and to hell with what anyone else thinks. They're not the one suffering, you are.

Positive steps in taking control will lift a great burden from you. I have taken medication for years because it helps and I wouldn't dream of worrying what others though of me. I've got enough on my plate with the anxiety illness

I wish you all the very best. Take charge Vacillating will enhance your anxiety. Once you make a decision and stick to it you will see a way forward .