YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I found this podcast a few mths ago and am catching up on all the episodes.

A lot of the topics and discussions really resonate with me and I am aware this is not a substitute for mental health support; however I feel better when listening. It helps to know I'm not the only person that feels not good enough.

About me. I live on the east coast and work for a large corporation, where I work in Accountant type role. I am on antidepressants and see a physiatrist every 6 mths for a script. The meds help but I feel the mask my true issues and I probably should also seek help from a therapist.

I feel I cannot open up to friends and family about my issues. Every morning I pull out my antidepressant pill and check to make sure nobody can see what I'm taking (Zoloft). I feel shame when filling out med paperwork and indicate I'm on antidepressants. Does anyone else feel this way?

Hi and Welcome!!

I don't feel any shame about it. I really see mental illness as diabetes, or a cold, or any other illness like that, only I think we have a little more control over how well out treatment works. We're sick, and that's all it is.

That being said, I know that everyone doesn't feel that way, and I do try to hide it from people who aren't close friends, because I worry about their reactions. (Of course, I worry about other people's reactions in general, so that could just be me being me.) While it's not necessarily everyone's business, I think it's good to have a few people who know so you can let someone know when you're having a bad day and get some support.

I share this fear and shame, absolutely. It hurts when you know you can let people help you and they'll happily do it, but you're too shamed and fearful to do it. Murphy's right - it's an illness and should be regarded as such, but for some reason we can't accept it.

It's great you've at least gone to a psych! Any start is a start, right?


Welcome

i do share some of these shame feelings, but mostly when i go to pick up my prescription. i cannot shake the feeling that the pharmacist thinks i'm weak and "less than" because of the meds i'm picking up.

other than that, i never really have to take my meds in front of people, i just take them before bed and in my office, so that is never really a problem for me. but picking them up from the pharmacy is a really uncomfortable and shameful experience.

i do share some of these shame feelings, but mostly when i go to pick up my prescription.

Oi, I feel that. I had a tech basically shout to me from across the store, "Oh, we didn't have any Abilify." Yeah, sure. Just tell everyone what I'm on. Not like they advertise that one on TV or anything.