Medicine

A random thought I had for a potentially motivating anecdote for those struggling with medication.

In today's society, we have many medications for a wide variety of ailments. From multi-vitamins to anti-depressants and sleep aids to headaches and much more. Many people also struggle with medication on many different levels from addiction to dependency. I will not claim to be an expert, for I am not, however I will share some of my experience before I share the anecdote I thought of. If this type of writing belongs somewhere else, I am very open to being shown where as I selected what I thought was best fitting given the options provided.

I am a Veteran in the U.S. Army and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety back in 2015. I've never had to take medicine more powerful or for other purposes than cold symptoms or headaches prior, so being prescribed an anti-depressant was a bit worrying at first. Hearing all about developing an addiction or dependency I worried for not only my health, but my career and some liberties that may get restricted because of my diagnosis. But, I recognized that in the state I was in, something had to be done. The medication I was prescribed seemed to help immensely, which made me both happy and cautious. As someone who overthinks and whose mind is constantly running, The immediate change I noticed was my ability to focus and concentrate went way up. My mind fell silent, and I was able to more freely think. I was happier.

For some years after I ran out of refills, I felt better. I noted down how I felt on the medication and changed some habits to carry on after because one thing I noticed, and somewhat where this following anecdote came from, is that medication is not as scary as it seems nor is it the end all be all.

The anecdote:
Have you ever owned/worked on a house? Ever worked on the roof or seen someone working on a roof?
What did they or you use to get up there? Most likely a ladder. Medication is like that ladder: a tool for you to get to a higher place whether that be mentally or healthily. You don't use that ladder for everything, just what you need at the time. You're not dependent on the ladder to do anything more than lift you up when you need it. At the end of the day, all that ladder did was allow you to carry yourself up to the rooftop, and it's only by your own power you get to that higher place and take in the scene you can't see from the ground. No matter what, it's ok to reach out to a neighbor (doctor) and borrow the ladder so you can get yourself where you need to be.

Author's Note

I am not a medical professional of any sort, nor do I claim to be. I am merely sharing my thoughts from my own experiences.