Off My Chest
RULES:
I am looking for mods!
1. The "good" part of our community means we are pro-empathy and anti-harassment. However, we don't intend to make this a "safe space" where everyone has to be a saint. Sh*t happens, and life is messy. That's why we get things off our chests.
2. Bigotry is not allowed. That includes racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and religiophobia. (If you want to vent about religion, that's fine; but religion is not inherently evil.)
3. Frustrated, venting, or angry posts are still welcome.
4. Posts and comments that bait, threaten, or incite harassment are not allowed.
5. If anyone offers mental, medical, or professional advice here, please remember to take it with a grain of salt. Seek out real professionals if needed.
6. Please put NSFW behind NSFW tags.
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Your mom isn't even correct. Many do rely on medication for life, not because they started, but because it was always going to always be helpful. But some people do use medication to begin resolving issues and wean off to either manageable levels or none when they feel their issues are under control. Anxiety meds are notorious for that.
And honestly, depression and anxiety meds aren't even inconvenient to need for life unless you're unable to keep on them consistently (if that's a fear then there are options that you can discuss with your doctor). I'm on adhd meds, and they however fucking suck to need because of restrictions on the medication causing shortages and similar problems. Either way every medication I'm on I'd tell my past self to start without hesitation.
Apart from the cost and hassle, some people think that it's a virtue to not use medicines. That taking them risks side effects. While that's absolutely true, every medication should be taken only when the benefits outweight the downsides. They all have side effects but so does untreated disease.
Am impulse to not take medicine is emotion over considered healthcare. In saying that the benefits and side effects should be considered, as well as the expected timeline. Further, the medication should be reviewed for continuing need, appropriate dosage and better alternatives at regular intervals.
I'm currently taking a glp-1 for weight loss and it's worked great with minimal side effects for me. I know from the research that if I stop taking it, I'm likely to put a lot of weight back on, so I'm pretty locked in. Given the alternative of being overweight and havig poorer sleep and health in general, that's a risk I willingly took. I'm hopeful there is improved research and we find a way to wean off successfully for most people, but if we don't, I'm still ok with my choice.