Meds Can Be a Lifesaver: It's Time to End the Medication Stigma

Show Notes: I speak with Sarah Michelle Sherman about her journey to a diagnosis of ADHD and Bipolar disorder and the impact of medication on her life.Getting the right diagnosis is all about having a provider who spends the time listening to you in order to get a full picture of your mental health—the correct diagnosis means the correct medication, which can make a world of difference. Neurodivergence has a lot of Venn diagram overlap AND comorbidity with other conditions like anxiety and mood disorders—it can be difficult to separate out symptoms and accurately attribute them when you are dealing with multiple diagnoses.Getting the right meds for you can be life-changing—AND life saving. Sarah shares the powerful truth that she would not be here without medication. The shame around taking medication needs to end. No one shames people for taking diabetes or blood pressure meds—mental health deserves the same respect. Stigma is harmful and keeps people from getting the help they need.With all the extra self-care, therapy, and yes, sometimes medication, comes a gift: the ability to feel deeply. The lows can be tough, but the joy and love are just as real—and that’s a superpower.Medication isn’t about changing who you are or making anyone “compliant.” It’s about helping people (and kids) manage their busy minds so they can be themselves, not about forcing anyone to fit a mold.The importance of treatment in order to be a good *enough* (not perfect!) mother. We discuss how challenging motherhood can be on our mental health or neurodivergent brains, and how much pressure there is to stay present and "get it right."Sarah Michelle Sherman is a writer living in Albany, New York. Her work has appeared in HuffPost, Today, Parents, and other outlets. She’s currently working on a collection of personal essays exploring depression, motherhood, the end of her marriage, and the search to find herself through it all. With unflinching vulnerability, Sarah strives to challenge the mental health stigma and inspire others to have more honest conversations about the tangled complexities of being alive. A passionate believer in the power of storytelling to foster empathy, connection, and a sense of belonging, she writes with the hope of reaching those who need to feel seen and understood. For the ones who are lonely, lost, or fearlessly chasing a life others have told you doesn’t exist—Sarah writes for you.Follow Steph on Substack at The Reclamation Era and on IG @stephsprenger