I've been resistant to take medication, or go to therapy for that matter, because I figured my problems weren't severe enough to warrant that kind of attention. I've always been more or less functional and I guess I just assumed that I just had a depressed and anxious sort of personality and that's how I was supposed to be.

At the encouragement of some very good friends, I started with therapy and it took me a while, but eventually I started to realize that mental illness isn't any different from so called physical illnesses like Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease or Epilepsy or any other physical disease where I wouldn't dream of questioning the need for meds. Depression, bipolar, ADD, anxiety, and so on, they all show up on brain scans, just like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and Epilepsy. They're physical brain disorders, so it makes sense that meds are used to control the symptoms. In fact, a lot of the same meds that are used for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Epilepsy are also used to treat various types of mental illness. The disorders are that similar. And yet no one expects someone with Parkinson's disease to control the symptoms through force of will and positive thinking alone.

So now I'm ok with having to take meds. I mean, don't get me wrong. Give the choice, I'd rather not need any of 'em. No one likes taking meds. The side effects are lousy and they don't always work as well as they should, but I also know that my life is much much easier for me when I'm on the right meds.