You CAN manage it tho. That's what the medicine does. It's a tool. Not a weakness. I'm glad someone else was able to share their experiences in a way you took something helpful away.

Because society's full of stuck-up assholes with a 'holier than thou' complex at the thought of having to take anything stronger than an aspirin. Also part of the whole 'be a man' toxic masculinity that says someone is 'weak' for needing help doing anything.

I say let them go through the shit I've been through the last five years, then see how they feel about mood stabilizers and pain meds.

Basically what Scaly said. But think of it like any other illness. Would you be ashamed of needing insulin if you were diabetic? Or of taking beta blockers if you had chronic migraines? Just because the illness is a chemical imbalance in your head doesn't mean you should be ashamed of needing medication to help. It would be like refusing a cast for a broken arm because it made you "look weak".

It took me years to come to terms with needing meds, but looking at it like any other device meant to help you heal has helped. I wouldn't refuse crutches if I broke my leg, so I take the medication meant to help me with depression and migraines.