I struggled with anxiety and depression for years, and I rejected medication out of hand for many reasons. "I'm stronger than this," "I'm smart enough to be able to come up with ways that don't involve medication," "Lots of people have some kind of anxiety and depression, and they seem to be fine without medication." But the thing is, my normal wasn't like everybody else's. And they DIDN'T feel like I felt. Not only that, but I had become really good at projecting an image of "everything's great," when I felt kind of dead inside, most of the time.
Getting on medication was a very hard thing to do, because I thought it made me some kind of failure. But when I found the right one, I actually became me again, the person that I knew was somewhere in all of that nothingness.
Someone has made a comparison, and I'll try to explain it here. If you had bad vision, you could probably get by. Like, maybe you could always sit in the front row at movies, so you could see everything. You could get large-print books, or switch to audio books, if you like to read. You could have someone help you find your way around town when you're driving, or maybe rely completely on a GPS to tell you when to turn, etc. There are millions of ways that you could change your life in order to accommodate your poor eyesight.
Or you could get a pair of glasses.
Nobody would fault you for getting a pair of glasses to improve your quality of life, and the only difference between the glasses and some medication is social stigma.
Having said all of that, if you don't already have a therapist, think about getting one. Maybe look into cognitive behavioral therapy. Ask lots of question of your doctor, and try new things until you find the thing that works. There are all kinds of anxiety and depression support groups that you might enjoy - and they may have even more resources for you to consider! There are so many options, so remember to take them one at a time - shockingly simple advice that is surprisingly hard to follow, especially when you have anxiety!
And then, keep in mind that many, many people love you and will always have your back.
Getting on medication was a very hard thing to do, because I thought it made me some kind of failure. But when I found the right one, I actually became me again, the person that I knew was somewhere in all of that nothingness.
Someone has made a comparison, and I'll try to explain it here. If you had bad vision, you could probably get by. Like, maybe you could always sit in the front row at movies, so you could see everything. You could get large-print books, or switch to audio books, if you like to read. You could have someone help you find your way around town when you're driving, or maybe rely completely on a GPS to tell you when to turn, etc. There are millions of ways that you could change your life in order to accommodate your poor eyesight.
Or you could get a pair of glasses.
Nobody would fault you for getting a pair of glasses to improve your quality of life, and the only difference between the glasses and some medication is social stigma.
Having said all of that, if you don't already have a therapist, think about getting one. Maybe look into cognitive behavioral therapy. Ask lots of question of your doctor, and try new things until you find the thing that works. There are all kinds of anxiety and depression support groups that you might enjoy - and they may have even more resources for you to consider! There are so many options, so remember to take them one at a time - shockingly simple advice that is surprisingly hard to follow, especially when you have anxiety!
And then, keep in mind that many, many people love you and will always have your back.