College students overall take psychiatric medication more frequently than in the past decade. While there is an increase in the use of drugs for mental health, there is a significant stigma surrounding the idea of being medicated.

Several reasons can explain why college students are hesitant to start medication to help them with their well-being or even talk about it with friends and family.

According to Jessi Gold, UT Chief Wellness Officer and psychiatrist, the stigma simply “comes from the world that we live in,” meaning that we absorb what we see on social media or TV, as well as the culture and social norms our parents passed down to us.

The media can portray mental health as people who are “disparaged” or hide that they are struggling, making the viewers fear the same thing will happen to them, according to Gold.

“All of that (media) is sort of noise where even if we inherently deep down believe that mental health is health, and taking a medication for depression is the same as taking something for high blood pressure or something like that,” Gold said. “We don’t realize how much that seeped in and affected us.”

Typically, everyone holds different perceptions in taking medication for their well-being, especially the parents of a person seeking medication. Gold mentioned that the generational differences in medication stigma are so drastic that she has had patients ask to pay in cash or put the psychiatric pills in different bottles to avoid the conversation with their parents.

Fortunately, this is not the case for Sophia Bernard, a sophomore majoring in public affairs, who feels more comfortable seeking treatment.

“I’m very fortunate that I have parents who are very supportive of me, but I have friends whose parents refuse to allow them to get the medication because they don’t believe in mental health,” Bernard said.

Sometimes, the stigma may not come from an external source but from your own judgment. Bernard and Morgan King, a junior studying psychology, both shared that they were extremely hesitant to start medication because they either saw it as a weakness or did not think they were “sad enough,” demonstrating that it is normal to be apprehensive about starting medication.

Likewise, Gold first took medication for her mental health in college, but never truly realised she stigmatized herself for it until 2020. At the time, she and other healthcare professionals shared the medications they were on, which is extremely rare, as indicated by Gold.

Gold confided that she saw a therapist to the other healthcare professionals, but did not feel as though she could mention she was also on psychiatric medication, even though she admits she prescribes medication to patients.

Her own self-judgement was so severe that she questioned whether people would want her to be their doctor.

“I think it’s important to recognize that if it affects me like that, it’s 100% going to affect the student who knows nothing about the meds, who doesn’t take any meds anyway, because college students are healthy generally,” Gold said.

Demographic factors can also influence differences in stigmatization — males have a much harder time communicating about their mental health, let alone what their medication experience is like, according to Gold.

“I believe males have a harder time talking about their mental health struggles because it is socially looked down upon for men to express their feelings the same way women do,” Sage Olson, a sophomore studying interior architecture, said. “They are made fun of, seen as weak, and it discourages males from a young age to keep their feelings to themselves rather than seek help.”

To combat this, Gold believes that male celebrities and athletes should openly discuss their mental health journey, including whether they take medication.

“There aren’t enough men’s mental health stories, more stories about it, more exposure to it, more conversations in those ways, that can make it feel more normal,” Gold said.

A common fear Gold sees among her patients is the worry that once they take the medication, they are committed to it for the rest of their lives.

“Not everyone who starts a med is going to have to be on it forever. I say to prepare for at least six months, especially if it’s your first try,” Gold said. “A lot of people go off meds because they feel better, and the meds were the reason that they felt better. So just be mindful about that, but I would never tell people they couldn’t try to come off with the help of the doctor because there are withdrawal symptoms and stuff that you would want to make sure you were doing appropriately.”

Another apprehension that may prevent someone from starting medication is the drug itself and the idea that the drug might change their personality — “which is the number one thing people are scared of,” according to Gold.

“I believe there is a stigma attached to being medicated because people believe it changes who you are as a person. While it changes your brain chemistry, it is due to the

medication providing chemicals that your brain doesn’t naturally produce. Changes in

behavior stem from having the normal amount of chemicals that your brain needs to

function properly,” Olson said.

Gold also noted that it can be challenging to determine when you need therapy versus a psychiatrist. Some key signs to examine include your family history, an increase in the frequency of bad episodes, or alarming symptoms that prevent you from functioning properly.

In those cases where you are having trouble functioning in therapy, Gold says, “Meds are going to have to help you before the therapy part.”

The most common disorders Gold sees are Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, anxiety and depression, the latter two of which are often prescribed with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).

King began taking an SSRI, Fluoxetine, in August of 2024 because she struggled to complete everyday tasks, her academics became harder and she struggled to maintain friendships.

“Existing felt like a chore, and I knew that I would not be able to succeed to the extent I wanted to without outside help,” King said.

Similarly, Bernard has been on an SSRI, sertraline, since the last academic year, when she found out one of her friends had passed away.

“There were times when I wouldn’t get up in the morning to go to class. I finally talked to my doctor and she said that she was going to prescribe me medication for anxiety. I tried it and all of a sudden I felt so much better,” Bernard said.

While King and Bernard recently started their journey with medication, Olson began when they were about 13 years old.

“Back home, I used In Focus Psychiatry as my main provider, and I’ve tried many different medications such as Sertraline (Zoloft), Qelbree (Viloxazine), Prozac (Fluoxetine), and Cymbalta.”

Just these three students out of many show that it is okay to ask for help and find the proper medication that fits your specific needs.

If you are considering medication for your mental health, but are scared, Gold advises you to speak to a professional and learn more about the medication. Gathering knowledge may help you feel more in control of your journey. You never know how it will affect you until you try.

“I have seen such a drastic difference between my mental health before and after the medication that I have cried. I am so much happier. I feel like I am myself again… I still struggle with it, but the medication makes it so I won’t slip back from that place I was before,” Bernard said.

During these confusing times, speaking up to trusted loved ones and healthcare professionals is crucial.

“People are here for you. It might not seem like it, and you might not believe it, but we are here,” King said. “So many people are happy to hear you and love you and give you the help you need. Please just ask.”