Health

#MedicatedAndMighty Helps Weaken Stigma Against Anti-Anxiety Meds

September 29th 2015

Blogger Erin Jones recently went viral after sharing a Facebook photo of her anti-anxiety and anti-depressant prescriptions. Jones was calling attention to the stigmatization of mental health in the United States, and the related taboo to taking medication to treat those problems.

The Mighty, an outlet dedicated to inspiring stories, published an article about Jones' viral image and the two partnered to create the hashtag #MedicatedAndMighty, which has empowered many social media users to share photos of their various medications to help highlight the reality of mental illness.

 

"I have tried living this life without prescription help," Jones wrote in her Facebook post. "It seems to have me on top of the world one minute and rocking in the corner the next. There is no consistency. I'm done with that. Anxiety and antidepressant medication to the rescue. Sometimes, folks, we just need help."

The viral Facebook post is important because mental health issues affect millions of Americans. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), more than one in 10 Americans take antidepressants, and nearly 20 percent of the population takes anti-anxiety medication.

Here are some people who were inspired by Jones to open up their mental health struggles:

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