How To Talk To Parents About Psychiatric Medications
Psychiatric medications often carry their own black label due to media influences. Driven by the opioid crisis and prevalent substance misuse rates in Vancouver, many parents believe that all psychoactive drugs will lead to addiction. Some parents also believe that taking psychiatric medications will lead to a lifelong dependency on drugs. Others believe that medication treatment only applies for people with very serious mental illnesses.
While these misconceptions are often influenced by what we see on the news or in social media, culture also plays a role creating these perceptions around psychiatric medications. Growing up within a Chinese-Canadian culture, my aunt was afraid of being stigmatized for allowing her child to take prescribed stimulants to control his symptoms. She was afraid that her friends would think that she was an incompetent mother. My friend, who was also raised within the Chinese culture, was yelled at by her mother when she found out she agreed to taking prescribed medications for her condition. Her family did not approve of her taking “unnatural substances” to take care of herself.
As a result, I was worried that I would face the same challenges when I was suggested by my psychiatrist to take medications to help with my own symptoms with my mother. Like other parents, my mother also had the same misconceptions about psychiatric drugs. She, like many others in the Asian culture, believed that taking psychiatric drugs would mean that the person is weak or crazy. However, I knew that medications were a vital part of my treatment. I was determined to change her perspectives.
Here is how I did it.
Educate.
Not just my parents, but also myself. The first step in gaining my mother’s support was to learn as much as I could can about my condition and my medications. Some of the online resources I used included:
Since I am studying psychology in university, I also had textbooks and academic resources about my medications and challenges. I utilized my university’s database to research some articles about my diagnosis. I also made sure I asked my psychiatrist lots of questions about my condition and learned as much as I could about the medications I am taking. I learned so much through my own self-learning to the point where I wrote my first-year psychology exam without studying!
Change Your Own Stigmas.
Being raised in a multi-cultural environment, I was well aware of the stigmas around my medications. I knew that some people think of my medication as a harmful substance. I also knew that some people did not believe that psychiatric medications could benefit patients at all. Despite being a mental health advocate myself, I was afraid of the very same things many people were afraid of. What if I become dependent on my medications? What will others think of me? I was also afraid of the culture implications of my decision to accept medication as part of my treatment. Since my culture values conformity and conservatism, it made it even harder to come to terms with my medication myself.
However, I knew that I must address my own stigmas around psychiatric medication before trying to change the views of others. Thankfully I was able to remove my own mental barriers through the knowledge I gained about my condition. I also connected with fellow patients to learn more about their experiences. Through these conversations, I was able to overcome my own fears about my medications.
Initiate The Conversation.
I first told my mom that my psychiatrist recommended me to have medications as part of my treatment and my reasons for agreeing to her recommendation. I reassured her that my treatment will be closely monitored by my psychiatrist and that I will take my medications only as I am told. Over the next few weeks, I told her how I was doing on my medications and the effects it had on me. I found every opportunity I could to talk about mental health in general, my condition, and my medications. By doing so, I knew that she would get more comfortable talking about medications over time.
Use simple language.
Although I may know how neurotransmitters work or what dopamine is, my mother certainly did not. I used simple analogies and explanations to explain these concepts to my mom. I even drew a diagram for her so that she understands how my medicine and my condition affects me!
Use examples and visuals.
Sometimes, its hard to imagine what someone’s experience is like. I first started educating my mom about how my condition affects me through the physical symptoms. I described how others sound like to me, how certain situations are experienced by me, and how life was before and after medication. Once she understood how my condition affects me physically, I described my emotions and feelings to her based on my physical symptoms. Using these descriptions allowed her to paint an image of how my medications are making me feel better.
Go to the Appointment Together.
While some of the things I tell my psychiatrist are strictly confidential, I did invite her to meet my psychiatrist. At the appointment, my mom had the opportunity to ask my psychiatrist any questions she had and gain some knowledge about how my condition affects me. My mom was also able to provide insight on my behaviour to my psychiatrist. Having my mom with me at my appointment meant that she knew my decision was based on professional advice. In my culture, doctors are held in high regard and are deemed as extremely knowledgeable. By having my psychiatrist talk to her, my mom had an ease of mind. On the other hand, my psychiatrist had a better understanding of how my condition affects those around me. It’s a win-win situation!
Use Your Allies.
A few my cousins and aunts also had the same condition as me. They also took medications to help manage their symptoms. I took the time to ask them about how they told their loved ones about the medications they took. They also made an effort to have a conversation with my mom about her fears around psychiatric medications. Simply knowing someone who also takes medication also relieved some of my mom’s resentment towards medication as part of treatment.
The Test of Time.
Having a parent accept your treatment plan takes time. For some parents, this comes with a lot of emotions; some may be upset, others may become angry. Fortunately, my mom was calm with me when I talked to her about my medications. I also gave her space to digest the news before I brought up the topic again. All in all, it took me 5 months to fully change her perspective on psychiatric medications used as a part of my treatment. Today, she helps other parents break away the stigma towards psychiatric medication used as a part of treatment.
Sometimes, bringing up the fact that I needed medications to my mom proved to be a harder task than bringing up the diagnosis itself. However, helping her accept medication as a part of my treatment is a process that is worth the fight. After all, the path to recovery is not a road to be taken alone; it is a path to travelled on with support by your side.
