In 2020, 16.5 percent of U.S. adults took prescription medicine for their mental health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — a number that’s seemingly only increased since, especially given the ongoing pandemic’s undeniable effects on mental health. (In fact, a 2021 study from QuoteWizard found that more than 24 percent of Americans are now taking prescription mental health meds.)
Still, Bareilles admitted that she had "so many feelings" about taking medication, worrying that she wouldn't be able to recognize herself anymore and that she was "taking a short cut." Ultimately, however, the Girls5Eva star came to realize that "this medicine helped [her] see [herself] again, without the cloak of depression and anxiety."
While Tuesday’s Instagram post marks the first time Bareilles really opened up about taking psychiatric meds, she mentioned the new treatment and spoke about her battle with mental illness on the ‘gram earlier this month. “It has been a very low year for me with regard to my mental health, and I am also grateful that part of the reason I can touch my joy again is I finally got the help of some medication. It’s been a journey to try and pull up, and I found this year I needed more help,” the 42-year-old wrote in an Instagram post on January 2.
Not only is she helping to normalize mental health struggles by getting so candid in both of these posts, but Bareilles is also making a case for asking for help — something that can be particularly difficult to do when you’re in the throes of heightened mental illness and thanks to the massive stigma around the topic. (See: Why Is It So Hard to Make Your First Therapy Appointment?)
“If you’re struggling- I see you, and I hope you remember you’re not stuck as long as you’re willing to change the view,” she wrote in the January 2 Instagram post, ending both that caption and the one from Wednesday with “Begin Again” — something she also tweeted in October 2021.
Sure, that's often easier said than done, but it's something that everyone should keep in mind when the going gets tough. Whether you're struggling with your mental health or dealing with other challenges, take a page from Bareilles' book and "let it all break open…so it can be reassembled to be stronger than before."
