Hello everybody how are we getting on? I hope you're okay and doing good, dandy, dandy goodness. What does that even mean? Today I wanted to talk to you a bit about a topic that I think is still considered a bit of a taboo and that is medication when it comes to mental health. I have now been on antidepressants for a year and that is the longest I have ever been on antidepressants and I kind of just wanted to give you a rundown of what that year has been like and some lessons that I've learned while taking antidepressants and some things I kind of wish I knew beforehand and before taking them as a sort of preparation. So if you are debating taking antidepressants or if you are taking them but feeling a little bit disheartened or you are just curious about antidepressants because it is not talked about enough then stay tuned because that is what I'm going to be talking about today. Before I start, little disclaimer, I am not a medical professional. Please do not take my word, as gospel and seek professional help if you think you need it. Ring your doctor, ring 111, ring 999 if it's a medical emergency and just make sure you get the help you need. This is just my personal experience. I have found listening to other personal experiences to be helpful and beneficial but you need to know that I'm not a medical professional and if you need one, please seek help. I will pop some links down below just in case you need it. In February 2022, I finally decided I needed a little bit of help with my mental health and there is nothing wrong with that. For a long time I felt weak and I felt like why can't I cope with this on my own? Why can't I deal with this on my own? It's frustrating. I'm usually a strong person. Why is this so difficult for me? But having chatted to some loved ones and the doctor, it kind of made sense to try medication again. Now I had to try medication before when I was younger. I didn't like how it made me feel and that's the first thing I'd like to kind of address. There are so many and two depressants out there like so many and they won't all work for you. Unfortunately it's a bit of a trial and error and I hate that. That is something that made me really nervous because it's not like taking a pill for headaches or for joint pain or for something like that. It's literally something that changes your hormones in your brain and that is quite overwhelming and I really didn't like that feeling. So if you're in the same boat, don't worry, you're not the only one. I really felt anxious about taking medication that might change me as a person. But there are loads out there and just because one doesn't work for you doesn't mean another one also won't. So bear with it and always talk to your doctor. If you think something's not quite right or if you recognize something in yourself, then talk to them because they are there to help you and they are there to help you find the right thing for you. So like I say, I started them in February 2022 and it's been an interesting ride because a lot has changed. I moved cities. I'm now in Brighton. I did a six week trip to the United States and I've done a lot of things in that time but I have made sure to be consistent with the medication just because you do have to allow for anything like antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication to actually kick in. You have to wait a little while. I think typically it's six weeks that you have to wait to see if you're benefiting from them. And I think that would be my first lesson is to be persistent and consistent with them because they don't work right away. It's not like paracetamol or Tylenol that you take and it works and you don't have a headache anymore. You don't have a pain. You have to be consistent because it's not going to change overnight and I wish someone had told me that the first time I was taking antidepressants because I kind of did expect a miracle pill and that is not what they people demanding my attention. Antidepressants are not a miracle pill. They shouldn't change who you are. They should just help balance you out and settle you into the person you are meant to be and help you along the way. For those of you don't know the reason I started taking antidepressants was because I was struggling. I was really struggling and I have another video that sort of delts into antidepressants a bit more. If you want to check it out I'll leave it in a link here but I'm really glad I started them and I don't know if I will always take them. I hope not because I hope I come to the point where I don't need them but that is a scary process. So like I said I've learned a lot from taking antidepressants a year on and patients is definitely the key. I wish somebody had talked to me about being patient when you first take them because they're not a magic pill. They don't work overnight. Something else I have learned is that stigma still exists. The amount of times I might have forgotten to take one of my tablets in the morning and had to take it slightly later and had to do outside. People do have a strange reaction and I have had people say oh you I bet it's my brother but I've been called crazy. I've been called. I've been questioned about my sanity when it comes to making decisions and something I'd like to say about that. I was insane before I took these pills. Don't let anybody tell you that because you're taking this medication or because you're you know a certain way that you are insane or your opinion is less valid or all of these horrible nasty things because that's not true. If you want to keep your medication very private that is okay but you shouldn't have to and it is okay that you need this little bit of help because we all need help sometimes and I've learned that medication is just a little a little blanket sometimes when you need it and it has helped hugely. Antidepressants are a personal journey. Nobody nobody nobody should judge you for taking them and actually you should feel brave for deciding that you need that little bit of help. Antidepressants aren't for life you can wean off them when you feel you are able to and they don't have to be this scary thing. When I first got mine I didn't take them for about four weeks I think the packet was just on the side and it took a lot of emotional strength to take them for the first time and that's okay too just chat to your doctor and ask them what they think is best but remember antidepressants also come with hard work just because you're taking a pill doesn't mean you're suddenly going to be really happy or really leveled out or really mellow although I guess it depends what pill you're taking. When you're taking prescribed medication for your mental health you still unfortunately need to work hard to better understand yourself and better betterness while my keeps saying better. You have to just work hard to understand you and your needs as well as having this little security blanket to help you through. I have found that being a year on antidepressants has helped me to reevaluate who I am and helped me to find coping strategies and also learn calmly about my brain and also have open discussions with my loved ones before if they criticise me because I was in a bad mood I take that very personally. Now we sort of sit down and I can say I'm feeling like this and they can say yes I've recognised it have you tried doing these things and sometimes I'm snappy we are all snappy and sometimes it doesn't work but the whole point is we are human and we make mistakes we slip up but we come back better and that is the main thing. An antidepressants have helped me do that and I'm really grateful to be on them. I might do another update in a year's time to say how I am after two years of being on antidepressants and whether they've changed or whether I am still on them. I'm really excited to see but I'd love to hear your stories and your journeys through antidepressants if you take them. I'd also like to hear if you've had any stigma or if you think anything about antidepressants. I just really like to know how you feel about them and I'm really glad to be here and I'm really glad I get to share this journey with you guys so thank you very much as usual you are all wonderful and lovely. If you're new here nice to meet you I'm Becca probably should have done that at the beginning but here we are. Please know you are not on your own you have an excellent community here online in the comments you have professional help that you can seek which again I will pop in the description as always I hope you have a lovely day a lovely life and look after yourselves little beans and I will see you in the next one bye. Right end of credit fam I feel like I really waffle in that one but you know we waffle we waffle and we groove all that is cold I'm going to go make another cup of tea but can't wait to see the comments I actually need to reply to your comments in the other one I saw a few of you said end of credit fam and I love that I love that please mention if you're an end of credit fam because I love it and this bit is for you so I will see you in the next one have a lovely day bye.