Towards the end of my first year of graduate school, I tried to commit suicide due to isolation from friends, the loss of a support network, and the pressure of ‘not good enough’. Ultimately, what helped was finally being on the proper medication. Just like any physical illness, being on the correct medication is important. And being on medication doesn’t mean you’re ‘weak’. Being mindful of burnout, of needing space, of disconnecting your worth from grades and numbers, eating and sleeping well — those can help, but just like how drinking orange juice won’t cure cancer, pharmaceutical treatment can be a necessary component of mental health.
Anecdote #12
