145. Removing the Stigma of Medication in ED & HA Recovery

Feb 21, 2022

Over the last decade the stigma that once existed around mental illness has decreased significantly. This is largely due to increased awareness of the prevalence of mental illness, media campaigns and prominent public figures sharing their experience with various mental health disorders.

However, even as people find understanding and support for their illness, they are also subject to a host of unhelpful and stigmatizing attitudes about medication. These include:

• the implication that they’re just not trying hard enough to overcome their condition, 
• the recommendation that all they need is a certain diet, or exercise, or meditation, 
• the assumption that the cure for their condition is as simple as taking a pill.

In the context of HA and ED recovery it is important to remember that eating disorders are often comorbid with other mental health conditions such as:

• Anxiety disorders (Generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder etc etc)
• Depression
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• PTSD
• Substance use disorders

Therefore this topic is very relevant to our audience and clientele - which is why we wanted to address it!

In this episode we discuss:

• Why is there still a stigma around the use of medication?
• The influence of pop-culture jokes on medication use and misrepresentation in films and TV
• How the lack of cultural conversation can keep the stigma of medication alive
• The association between taking medication and being "labelled"
• Misinformation about alternative or 'natural' approaches  
• 3 main reasons why medication may be important for you during HA or ED recovery.

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