Mental Health Medication Myths

Medications used for mental health include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers. They are given to patients to improve their quality of life and to help with mental health diseases. One common fear about mental health medication is dependence. There is little chance for this if they are taken as prescribed. This means taking them as recommended by a doctor and not stopping suddenly as some medications must be adjusted to by the body. In fact, teens who took medication for their ADHD were less likely to abuse drugs as compared to those who did not take medication. 1 in 5 U.S. adults dealt with mental illness in 2020. Of this group, almost 1 in 2 received some form of treatment. Receiving treatment is very common and it improves the disease just like healing a broken bone. Another myth is that medication will change who someone is as a person. Since medication will help regulate chemical imbalances, it will instead likely help to make “you feel like you again”.

(1) National Institute of Mental Health (2016). Mental Health Medications. Retrieved February 3rd, 2022, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/mental-health-medications

(2) National Alliance on Mental Illness (2021). Mental Health by the Numbers. Retrieved February 5th, 2022, from https://www.nami.org/mhstats

(3) Sage Neuroscience Center (2021). Debunking 10 Myths about Psychiatric Medications for Mental Health. Retrieved February 5th, 2022, from https://sageclinic.org/blog/debunking-myths-psychiatric-medication/