This post was sponsored by Walgreens, all opinions are mine.
By now, surely all of you know that I’m on daily medication for mood disorders. Namely, generalized anxiety disorder (primary) and major depressive episodes (secondary). After many years of struggling and resisting the idea of being on medication, I saw a doctor and began treatment when I was 25. This was a life changing moment for me, as the foggy lens I had been seeing the world through completely cleared. This started my journey into advocacy for mental health.
No one wants to be on medication, especially when it’s possibly a lifelong commitment. Not only does it sometimes feel odd to have a body that is not functioning properly in some way, but there is no shortage of stigma surrounding the use of medication for mental health, specifically. Perhaps this is why mental health patients are historically likely to go on and off their medication. The idea of being medicated for something psychiatric is still (sadly) controversial, when it’s just as important as any other medication for a chronic illness. For instance, if I had hypertension, I would be expected to take medication to stay healthy and a mood disorder should be no different.
Reality check: nearly 100 million Americans do not follow their prescription requirements correctly – either because of forgetfulness, inconvenience or lack of education. 33% of prescriptions are never even filled. Did you know that if you’re ever confused about medication, you don’t have to wait until morning to get answers? The Walgreens 24/7 Pharmacy Chat is always available to help. I’ve been solely using Walgreens for years and I love the app. It even features a pill reminder to help stay on track. Pretty cool, huh?
I firmly believe that taking medications as prescribed by your doctor (and on time) helps you live your best life and reach the health goals agreed upon by you and your provider. Medication isn’t scary to me anymore. To me, it’s a necessary catalyst to being the best mom and human I can be. Just like any other chronic illness, mental health matters too.
Head to Walgreens to learn more about this initiative.
