Busting myths so highly complex minds can thrive.
Real talk
Thinking about medication can feel heavy. We worry it will blunt our spark or flatten our complexity. But here’s the reality: medication doesn’t erase who you are. It gives your brain a chance to work closer to how it was meant to—clearer, calmer, with more bandwidth to live.
For people with highly complex minds, especially in a world not designed for us, tools are essential. Sometimes that’s traditional medicine, sometimes Western medication, sometimes both. What matters is using what works and tracking the difference it makes.
Why this matters
I take medication for Bipolar, which for decades was the most disabling part of my wiring. The right medicine helps me keep intrusive thoughts and compulsive loops at bay, giving me space for work, love, and creativity. Now, with AuDHD added to the mix, I’ve learned that stability isn’t a luxury—it’s the baseline that lets me function.
I’ve tried stopping, to “be strong.” It was a disaster. Chaos and exhaustion followed, for me and those around me. Lesson learned: I’m a lifer.
I’m also open to traditional medicines—herbs, teas, healing practices. They can add comfort and balance. But let’s be clear: I will not cut down or abandon Western medication. It isn’t about stubbornness or mistrust. It’s simply experience. Every time I stopped, life fell apart. Western medicine is the anchor. Traditional approaches are the extras that can make life gentler, not the replacements.
As a psychologist, I’ve seen the same with clients. Brains wired differently need tools. Medication, when carefully monitored, is one such tool.
The common fears (and why they’re wrong)
- “Medication will change who I am.” No—it won’t rewrite your values or personality. It reduces the noise so you can finally act like yourself, instead of being lost in chaos.
- “I’ll become dependent or weak.” Taking medicine isn’t weakness—it’s like wearing glasses. You wouldn’t call someone weak for correcting their vision.
- “It will kill my creativity.” Chaos doesn’t fuel creativity, it buries it. Medication frees up space for genuine ideas and follow-through.
- “I should manage naturally.” Often that just means surviving, not thriving. Medication is one tool among many—alongside rest, therapy, and tradition.
- “Medication will solve everything.” It won’t fix your life. What it does is clear the fog so you can actually use the strategies and relationships that matter.
- “Everyone will judge me.” People might—but their opinion won’t change whether it helps you. This is about your brain, not their prejudice.
- “I won’t know what’s me and what’s the medication.” You’re still you. Medication doesn’t invent a self, it allows you to access what’s already there.
- “Side effects will be unbearable.” Sometimes side effects happen, but often they’re mild, manageable, and temporary. If they outweigh the benefits, that’s when you change or adjust.
- “Needing medication means I’m failing.” It means you’re smart enough to use the scaffolding your brain was never given. Failure is refusing help that works.
Bottom line
Brains like ours need support in a world not built for us. Medication—Western or traditional—doesn’t make you weak, it gives you the foundation to live. For me, Western medicine will always be the anchor. I’ll gladly accept what traditional remedies can add, but not at the cost of losing the stability that lets me love, work, and create.
