6 Medication-Shaming Red Flags
Image by @hdbernd via Unsplash
A few years ago, my doctor and I decided that an SSRI wasn’t the right choice for me anymore, so we made a plan for me to taper off of mine.
I won’t get into all the details, but it was unpleasant.
I looked online to see if anyone had tips on how to get through it. And you know what? It’s a minefield out there. There was some helpful information, sure. But most of what I found also made me feel gross. There was a vaguely shameful feeling attached to it.
That’s because it’s hard to find advice on stopping a medication or seeking alternatives to medication without somebody shaming you for taking that medication in the first place. Or trying to talk you out of ever using it.
There are plenty of valid reasons to stop or avoid a medication, assuming that you and your doctor are on the same page. (P.S. – Never stop any medication or change your dose without talking to your doctor first.) However, there are also plenty of valid reasons to take medication.
It’s very possible to discuss stopping a medication without shaming ourselves, and other people, for taking them. Most of the internet does not know that because the internet hates nuance.
Med-shaming isn’t always overt, though. Writers won’t come out swinging, because they want you to keep reading. So they may shame you in subtle ways, instead. If you ever feel ashamed while reading about medication, but you can’t quite explain why, look out for these red flags.
1. Capitalizing the Word WITHOUT
Quick, go look at Pinterest. Type “without medication” into the search bar. Or don’t, if you don’t want to ruin your algorithm. But if you do, you’ll notice two things about your search results.
Almost all the results will be about mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions.
The word “without” will be capitalized almost every time.
Fix your depression/ADHD/anxiety/whatever WITHOUT medication. The WITHOUT is very important, you see. The implication is that it’s the “correct” way. Capitalizing WITHOUT means that it’s superior to WITH. It’s the way you should want to do it.
If you’re looking for remedies on Pinterest, the “without” should be implied. Because none of these randos are qualified to give advice on actual medication. They’re also not qualified to discourage you from talking to your doctor, but they’ll try to do that anyway. Be careful out there, friends.
2. Saying “Pills” Instead of “Medication”
If an author or speaker keeps using the word “pills” instead of “medication,” they’re probably med shaming.
But why is that? They’re technically correct, aren’t they? Most medications do come in pill form, right? Right. Which is what makes this one so insidious.
This is an example of “loaded language” or “loaded words.” Loaded words are words with strong, specific connotations that go beyond the literal meaning. Authors, speakers, headline writers, etc. use loaded language because a) it’s more persuasive than neutral language, and b) it gets an emotional response, which means that you’ll pay closer attention.
Because the word is technically correct, the author can claim to be unbiased or say that they’re just stating facts. Much like a passive-aggressive person can point out that they haven’t technically said anything mean.
But the word choice is intentional, make no mistake. If there’s one thing that writers understand, it’s words. They didn’t forget that the neutral word “medication” was available. They just chose not to use it.
“Pills” is a loaded word because it doesn’t just refer to medicine. It can also refer to street drugs with no medical uses, or medicine that’s taken illicitly. When a person intentionally says “pills” instead of “medication,” they’re hoping you’ll picture seedy back alleys. They want your brain to make a connection between therapeutic medicine and covert drug deals.
The result? Something in your subconscious brain says that medication is bad. And then you’ll feel shame for taking it.
3. The Phrase “Taking a Pill”
On a related note, the phrase “taking a pill” is also usually med shaming.
Not only is it using loaded language, but it’s also deliberately incorrect. You don’t take a pill to manage depression or other mental health conditions. You take multiple — usually one per day for at least a few months.
“Taking a pill” might be an acceptable word choice if we’re talking about a “take as needed” medication. But I’m immediately suspicious if someone uses this phrase about stimulants, SSRIs, or any other medication that one takes on a daily basis.
By using the singular word “pill” instead of the plural, the writer is implying that medication is the easy way out. It’s the route that lazy people take. Especially if they compare “taking a pill” to another, non-medical option such as yoga.
4. Conflating Dependence and Addiction
“But aren’t you worried you’ll have to be on those meds for the rest of your life?”
Sweetheart, if my mental health meds were guaranteed to work for my entire life, I’d be thrilled.
“But aren’t you worried about becoming dependent on them?”
To a point, sure. Like I said, tapering off of my SSRI was no walk in the park. But if I’m going to be on a medication long-term, and if I go in with the understanding that this is a long-term medication, then no, I’m not worried about becoming dependent on it.
Physical dependence (i.e. needing medication for homeostasis) and addiction are two different things. When people decide to med shame, though, they’ll usually conflate the two. That way, they can demonize a non-addictive mental health medication by using the language of addiction.
5. Emphasizing Addiction Risks While Downplaying Legitimate Medical Uses
Let’s say I wrote an article about stimulant addiction. I happen to know that stimulants have legitimate medical uses. So, I spend five or six paragraphs extolling the virtues of Adderall. I talk about all of the benefits of stimulants for people with ADHD.
I’m just being balanced, right? I’m just trying to be fair and show both sides.
Obviously, that wouldn’t be appropriate. The topic of that article is addiction, not ADHD. So addiction should be the main focus. Now, I might take two or three sentences to explain that stimulants have legitimate uses, but that’s it. If I’m writing about something that’s hurting somebody, it’s not okay for me to harp on how it helps others. That article is not the place for that.
And yet, the opposite is considered completely normal. If I wrote an article about the difficulties of ADHD, or why stimulant medication helps, nobody would bat an eye if I spent half the article talking about addiction. People would think I was just being balanced.
Except that it’s not balanced at all. Because this article is about ADHD. At most, it would be appropriate to dedicate a few sentences to addiction. Anything beyond that is just med shaming.
6. Referring to Medication as a “Last Resort”
Sometimes, people med shame by claiming that you should only take medicine if you’ve already tried everything else. Medication can be a good option, but only if the yoga and walks and journaling didn’t help.
There are two big problems with this.
One, my depression didn’t show up because I quit going outside. I quit going outside because I had depression. Don’t get me wrong. When it comes to mental health, a little sunshine and movement can go a long way. The problem is that mental illness can make it nearly impossible to do those things. I’m not discouraging anyone from taking a walk, but that’s not going to do any good if you can’t get out of bed.
And two, there’s a long list of illnesses that are not mental or chronic, and you know what? People seem fine when you take medication for those. They don’t demand you try a bunch of “natural” remedies before they decide that your use of Tylenol was warranted.
Final Thoughts
If something ever feels a bit “off” about a mental health post, or if it’s making you feel guilty for reasons you can’t explain, look out for these six red flags. Shaming can be subtle. You may not always realize that it’s happening. But no matter what the internet says, there are exactly two people who get a say in whether a medication is right for you: you and your doctor. Not me, not a rando on pinterest, and not someone who wants to sell you something from a pyramid scheme.