Blogger destigmatizes mental health medication with hashtag #MedicatedandMighty

Taking medication for mental health issues like depression and anxiety often carries with it a huge stigma. Medicated individuals can experience judgment from those who believe that taking pills is a sign of weakness, or a way of taking the easy way out.

A new hashtag, #medicatedandmighty, is now making the rounds on Twitter and challenging the norm.

It all started on Sept. 2, when mom blogger Erin Jones took to Facebook to explain that she had been facing some major mental health challenges, and that she was planning to start taking medication.

“I have tried living this life without prescription help,” she wrote. “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 response to the post was overwhelming, with many readers posting images of themselves with their own meds, along with personal stories of medication use.

Jones decided it was time for action. She teamed up with the website The Mighty to launch the hashtag #medicatedandmighty, which encourages individuals to share about their use of mental health medications without shame.

Since then, women and men from around the world have been tweeting selfies, many holding multiple bottles of medication up to the camera, alongside the hashtag #medicatedandmighty, and often #endthestigma.

@Susurratrix writes:

“Medication has a terrible stigma. Some brains work differently and that’s okay. You aren’t weak.#MedicatedAndMighty”

@Tweet_KLee posted a photo of herself with her son and bottle of pills, and wrote:

“My morning necessities: cuddles, coffee, meds. #MedicatedandMighty #EndTheStigma”

@ilonakatherine tweets:

You wouldn’t tell someone with cancer not to have chemo. Don’t tell someone with a mental illness not to take meds. #MedicatedAndMighty”

Others have been less than supportive of the movement, revealing that beliefs about the effectiveness and necessity of mental health meds still vary greatly.

@marisaloulou writes:

“It’s NOT "a process to find the right one”! It’s a process to GET OFF THE MEDS! #MedicatedAndMighty is a terrible trap.”

and @MentalHealthLaw tweets:

“@bainer_m @laraeparker People are using the hashtag #MedicatedAndMighty to push dangerous psych drugs & Pharma profits.”

Jones addressed those opposing the hashtag in a Facebook post today, writing: “Yesterday was hard. Today is going to be pretty hard too. I was overrun with those against this movement.”

However she remained optimistic, adding, “There are a lot of people paying attention to this. People we’ve been trying to get to hear us for a long time. It’s our time, guys. We’re being heard. Doors are opening and conversations are happening. This is exciting.”

Whatever you believe, #MedicatedandMighty is bringing this important and complicated conversation into the public, and that’s a good thing.