From my experiences, I feel like the majority of college students (and young adults in general) tend to understand the importance of mental health. But unfortunately, there still seems to be some sort of stigma revolved around getting prescribed antidepressants– which is why I used to be against the idea of them.
But I’m writing this today to tell you that if you are on an antidepressant to aid your mental health, you are so strong and brave. You’re not alone, and you definitely should not feel embarrassed over it.
I began struggling with my mental health around my junior year of high school. Growing up, I was always incredibly outgoing and loved meeting people. But as I got older, I started to experience what I now know was anxiety. I was so worried about saying the wrong thing to someone or making a fool out of myself. I would think about things I said to people days later, replaying different encounters in my mind.
It continued all the way in to my freshman year of college… which was an absolute nightmare in the dorms. I never had the privacy and alone time I needed to cope with that anxiety. The stress that came from social interactions (on top of a heavy class-load and extracurriculars) felt unbearable at times.
It wasn’t until the summer after my freshman year that I took action. I finally went to the doctors and was prescribed antidepressants to help manage my anxiety.
Let this sink in. I put up with the anxiety for three years after I first experienced it. And I never did anything about it.
I felt so embarrassed when I first began taking them. I didn’t want people to treat me differently or feel like they needed to walk on eggshells with me. I didn’t want anyone to think I was taking the easy way out.
But honestly, they’ve made the world of difference.
And that’s why so many other college students and young adults also get prescribed antidepressants for a variety of different reasons. Go figure. According to an article written by Nbc News a few years back, “One in six Americans take some kind of psychiatric drugs — mostly antidepressants.”
In another article, the New York Times called us “the Antidepressant Generation.” As if that’s a bad thing. It’s not something to be ashamed of at all. Millennials understand the importance of mental health, and many will do what it takes to achieve a mental state that allows them to live the type of life they want to live.
With that being said, I also want to recommend counseling. To everyone. Even if you’re not depressed or don’t struggle with your mental health, I think it’s an excellent way to open up to someone in a safe environment. Another thing that’s NOT embarrassing!
So don’t be afraid to open up about the topic with a friend; chances are he/she is also on them or knows someone who is. And if they’re really your friends, they won’t look at you any differently than before.