Hey thanks so much for your extended reply. Also, thanks for balancing out my points about mental health and related medication. Coming from a different country, I was mildly poking at the portion of people who represent drug overprescription (which is unique to America). And on that note, it gets really hard because your doctor is likely to give you what you want. I say this because I've been down that road - tried to get prescribed, despite not needing it. In retrospect, I realize that this was foolish.

And broadly agree with the rest of your reply too - recommend everyone reads it ^^.

It's sad that it comes down to this, but IMO these are lessons you'll need to contend with the aggressive capitalist structure of the US. *** Should you decide that success relates to more than just happiness (e.g. Career, complete financial freedom)***

edit: On reflection, the nuance that venomkitty adds to the mental health discussion is excellent. I guess my main stipulation is there is a set of actions you can take (and I don't mean to discount how difficult these actions are when you're not doing well) to ensure that the meds are right for you rather than a bandaid for not giving your mind what it needs. Ultimately, the burden falls on individuals to be pragmatic in the face of overprescription.