Take the Damn Medicine

For whatever reason, a lot of us carry around this quiet shame or resistance when it comes to taking medicine.

You get a headache, and instead of reaching for ibuprofen, you wait. You think, “Let’s just see if it goes away on its own.”
You’ve been on antidepressants for 10 years and you’re feeling steady. You think, “Maybe I should stop — I shouldn’t need this anymore.”

But… why?

Why are we so weird about this?

Let’s be real: If there’s a remedy, why suffer?

If your body is in pain — whether it’s physical or emotional — and there’s a safe, effective, accessible way to feel better, why not take it?

This idea that you should suffer through, tough it out, or wait until you’re miserable enough to “deserve” relief is not strength. It’s internalized shame. And it’s completely unnecessary.

You wouldn’t break your leg and say, “Let’s see if it heals on its own before I go to the hospital.”
You wouldn’t tell someone with diabetes, “Well, your insulin’s working, so maybe you should stop.”

But when it comes to mental health — or even something as everyday as a headache — we start playing games with ourselves about what’s “necessary” or “too much” or “too long.”

Medication isn’t weakness. It’s care.

Let’s be clear:
Taking medication to manage depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma symptoms, or chronic pain doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means you’re paying attention to your body and responding to what it needs.

Doing well on antidepressants doesn’t automatically mean you no longer need them. It might mean they’re working.

You don’t earn gold stars for being in pain. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for managing your health in ways that help you function and feel more like yourself.

What if the most responsible thing you can do… is keep doing what works?

There’s no shame in staying on meds that are helping you. There’s no virtue in pushing through pain you could actually relieve. We’ve absorbed this idea that the “best” version of ourselves should be able to do it all unmedicated — as if being 100% self-regulating, all the time, is some moral ideal.

But the truth is: humans are not machines. We are not meant to do life alone or unsupported. There is no prize for refusing help.

Sometimes the kindest, most responsible thing you can do…
Is take the damn medicine.

And keep taking it, if that’s what’s helping you feel okay in the world.

If this resonates…

Feel free to share this post or send it to someone who needs the reminder. And if you’re wrestling with whether or not to start (or stay on) medication, talk it through with a provider who gets it. You deserve support, clarity, and care — not judgment.