Being Part of The Conversation
I am so happy that people are beginning to be more and more open about their mental health. I have always been open with close friends and family about my bipolar disorder, however when it comes to talking with friends about mental health I always feel a little on the outside of the conversation. I feel like anxiety and depression are talked about most frequently, especially in college. When my friends or other students or really any group talk about their anxiety and depression I feel like I can’t relate. While I do have an anxiety disorder and depression is a huge part of my bipolar, I still feel like I don’t fit into the conversation. A lot of my friends and people I know talk about “oh yeah I went to the Dr. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and now I take lexapro” then someone else will say “yeah same I take lexapro” or “Yeah I went to the Dr. and I take prozac”. And while this is so important and it’s so great that they can all relate to each other and share their experiences with anxiety and depression I always feel a little uncomfortable chiming in and saying “oh yeah I take 12 different medications including antipsychotics and mood stabilizers etc”.
Now more than ever college students are getting diagnosed with anxiety and depression and taking medications for it, so most people know the names Lexapro, Prozac, Welbutrin, and Zoloft. However, when you hear antipsychotic you hear anti psychotic as in not psychotic as in “oh this person needs this medication to not be psychotic”. This is not necessarily the case but most people I know don’t take the medications I take or really understand bipolar disorder. I love the progress that the mental health awareness movement has made but I think there are still stigmas around less common illnesses like bipolar, OCD, BPD and less understood disorders. I made this website in the hopes that I could read stories from people that do have to take 12 medications a day, or do have to get blood tests done frequently or have to meet with psychiatrists a few times a month; people that have had a more similar experience as me.