Still crazy after all these years…

May is mental health awareness month and this is my yearly reminder that there is zero shame in taking medication for your mental health. 

This is what my anxiety felt like before I took medication: my mind raced all the time. Sometimes it was mild enough that I didn't notice. Sometimes I would go for days- even weeks- feeling a tightness in my chest, like I was on the brink of an anxiety attack, questioning every single thing at every single turn. It was nearly impossible for me to let even the smallest thing go. I went over things in my head again. And again. And again. 

And I thought this was normal. I thought everyone felt like this all the time. 

Because it was how I'd felt my entire life. 

I had no idea that I was suffering from high-functioning anxiety disorder. 

I will always be grateful to the woman who shared with me that she took lexapro and that it had made a huge difference in her life. That conversation changed my life forever. 

I'm here to normalize it for you, the same way she normalized it for me.

I've been on Lexapro for 8 1/2 years and it was one of the best things I ever did for myself. Asking for help and finding a solution that would make my life easier was pretty much the opposite of failure. I was worried I would be a different person. (I'm not.) I was worried about all the side effects. (The side effects of chronic anxiety were wreaking WAY more havoc on my life and my relationships.) I was worried there was something wrong with me for needing medication to treat something in my brain. THERE WASN'T.

Anxiety is a chemical imbalance. lf you have asthma or diabetes or arthritis, you take medication to help you feel better and help your body function more effectively. You don't think twice about it. Taking care of your mental health is NO different.

I'm a pretty open book about this one so if you have questions, hit reply. 

And I'm not a medical professional so talk to one. Don't just put yourself on meds. But do take care of yourself. You don't have to suffer. And you don't have to do it all alone.