People are starting to open up about their mental health with the hashtag #ShoutOutYourMedChange, and it’s inspiring
There’s a very strong possibility that everyone who lives with a mental illness has faced stigma or discrimination at one point in their lives. Sarah Fader has decided to do something about that, which is why she started the hashtag #ShoutOutYourMedChange on Twitter. As someone who lives with bipolar disorder, she has tried 10 different psychiatric medications. Instead of shying away from this reality, though, Fader is creating a space for everyone to speak openly alongside her about their experiences with mental illness treatments.
HelloGiggles chatted with Fader, the CEO and Founder of the nonprofit Stigma Fighters, who says her inspiration for starting this hashtag came from her recent switch from Lexapro to Lamictal, which “has been brutal.”
"I wanted to reach out to the mental health community for support and to see if people could relate," Fader tells HG.
I am getting sick of getting depressed in the afternoon. #ShoutOutYourMedChange
— Sarah Fader (@TheSarahFader) April 7, 2017
#ShoutOutYourMedChange took off in record time.
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/850123605580972037
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Just a ♡ for the women incarcerated who are taken off their psych meds w/o weaning or replacement. #ShoutOutYourMedChange @TheSarahFader
— Ra Avis (she/her) (@Rarasaur) April 6, 2017
I had taken venlafaxine for years – I switched to Cymbalta, but the withdrawal was brutal. I was shaking, paranoid. #ShoutOutYourMedChange
— chair (@miserycake) April 6, 2017
People are really excited that they have the platform to talk about their mental illness in an honest, raw way.
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/850128962177048576
Some couldn’t help but bring a little (welcome) humor into the equation.
#shoutoutyourmedchange. Thought I'd dropped my morning lexapro. Had it half-way to my mouth when I realized it was a googly eye.👀
— 📷 jennifer jones 📷 (@jnj2day) April 7, 2017
Fader tells HG that “people are often shamed” for taking medications that have been prescribed for mental illness. Her goal is to shed light on the taboo and remind everyone that there’s nothing wrong with seeking medical attention when you need it.
If you had pneumonia, you would go to the doctor, right? The same goes for when you’re struggling with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), clinical depression, bipolar disorder, etc. You go to the doctor and sometimes they’ll prescribe you the respective meds.
"People are grateful for the chance to talk about their medication challenges and transitions," Fader says. "I am happy people can do this."
We’re happy, too, because the more we can break down mental illness taboo, the quicker we can help people get the help they truly deserve and need.
