Alyssa Milano: We need to destigmatise talking about medication for mental health

Actress Alyssa Milano. Picture: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Actress Alyssa Milano. Picture: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Published Jul 2, 2021

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The “Charmed” star took to social media to slam one troll who asked her if she had “forgotten to take [her] medication”, as she said she takes her mental health struggles – which include anxiety and PTSD – seriously, and doesn’t appreciate being mocked over them online.

She fumed in a video clip: “First of all, no I did not forget to take my medication. I take my medication every day.

“I have anxiety with complex PTSD and panic disorder, so I take my medicine because I like to just be functional.

“I think it’s time that we de-stigmatise medication from mental health like we’ve de-stigmatised say, I don’t know, Botox. OK, thanks for listening.”

Alyssa, 48, then went on to ask people to stop “flippantly” using mental health as an insult.

She wrote in the caption: “Can we try to get away from flippantly using mental health language as descriptors or insults?”

Meanwhile, Alyssa previously said she's so passionate about activism that she would give up her acting career if she needed to.

She said: "I just really believe that if I stay ... If my integrity stays intact and I stay true to who I am and what I believe in - which is equality, and that every child deserves a healthy happy childhood - I have to stay true to that.

“And if it means I'm not gonna work in this industry, then I'm not gonna work in this industry. But at least I can go to bed knowing that I fought the good fight."

The “Who’s The Boss?” actress - who has son Milo, nine, and daughter Elizabella, six, with her husband Dave Bugliari - has been an activist since she was a teenager, and admits she wouldn't know how to "function" if she gave it up.

She added: "And also, I've been an activist since I was 15 years old. For me, I don't know any other way to function, like I can't not be vocal about issues.

“So that would be disingenuous, I have to be organic to myself and right now there's a lot to fight for."

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