The Problem Wasn’t My Brain—It’s Society: Why I Stopped Medicating My Depression

In 2026, I’m reclaiming my narrative. My depression isn’t a glitch; it’s a protest against systemic cruelty, from environmental destruction to animal exploitation. I’m choosing radical mental health and compassionate living by refusing to numb my response to an unjust world. It’s time we stop fixing our brains and start fixing society.

Disclaimer: The author of this post is not a medical professional. This article is a personal reflection on the intersection of social justice and mental health. Please consult with a doctor or psychiatrist before making any changes to your medication regimen.

The Prescription for Silence: Why I’m Refusing to “Fix” My Brain for a Broken World

For years, I followed the standard script. I was told that my Major Depressive Disorder, my generalized anxiety, and my PTSD were internal glitches—biological errors that required a pharmaceutical correction. I took the pills, I waited for the “chemical balance” to return, and I tried to function within the lines.

But as we navigate the complexities of 2026, I’ve been struck by a haunting realization. Looking around Toronto, I see a city in the grip of a mental health epidemic so severe that “States of Emergency” are becoming our new normal. I’ve watched brilliant, sensible, and deeply compassionate people become so desperate for relief that they’ve turned to every treatment imaginable—and tragically, some have still felt that suicide was their only exit.

Seeing such grounded people lose their spark made me look at the bigger picture. For a long time, I knew there were legitimate reasons for my pain, but the truth has become undeniable: we aren’t suffering from a collective brain failure; we are suffering from a systemic collapse.

It turns out, the science supports this. A landmark 2022 umbrella review published in Molecular Psychiatry found no convincing evidence that depression is caused by low serotonin levels. This suggests that for many of us, the “chemical imbalance” is a myth that keeps us focused on our own biology rather than the world around us. I have decided to go off my medications to pursue radical mental health and compassionate living. I am choosing to stop numbing the part of me that is screaming because I refuse to let society off the hook for the trauma it inflicts.

Mental Health as Political Rebellion: I’m Not “Crazy”

In a patriarchal society, the “madwoman” is a convenient label used to silence those who refuse to conform. As a woman, I am all too familiar with the label “crazy.” It is a word used to dismiss our valid anger, our boundaries, and our reactions to mistreatment. But there is a fundamental truth we often overlook: the people calling you crazy are usually the ones who made you crazy.

This gaslighting is occurring at an alarming rate in the mental health sector. We are told we have a disorder, but we aren’t told that our “disorder” is a natural response to sexism, abuse, and a culture that devalues us. When we label the trauma of living in a misogynistic culture as a personal “disorder,” we strip it of its political power. By staying medicated, I felt like I was helping society hide the evidence of its own violence.

I want my struggle to be visible. I want the world to have to deal with the person it helped break, rather than me hiding behind a chemical veil that makes me “easier” for others to be around. I’m finding that the dog and woman relationship provides more genuine stability than a pill ever could, as I’ve explored in my piece on Dogs, Women’s Best Friend. Animals don’t gaslight us; they witness our truth and offer a companionship that doesn’t demand we “fix” ourselves to be worthy of love.

The Environment Can’t Be Fixed with a Pill

A primary reason for my transition is the realization that much of my suffering is rooted in environmental anxiety and veganism. We are expected to maintain a “positive mindset” while witnessing the literal destruction of our planetary home through pollution and habitat loss.

Psychologists now use the term “Solastalgia” to describe the mental distress caused by the loss of one’s home environment. The American Psychological Association formally recognizes Eco-Anxiety as a chronic fear of environmental doom. My grief isn’t a “malfunction”—it is a rational response to a climate in crisis.

Society tells us to take a pill so we can go back to work and keep participating in the very industries driving this destruction. Instead, I am choosing to channel that emotion into change. If you are looking to turn your own grief into action, start with The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Animal Rights Activism (Toronto Focus).

Challenging the Systemic Causes of Depression

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that Social Determinants of Health—such as gender equality and environmental quality—are the real drivers of mental well-being. We are currently facing an unprecedented surge in mental health struggles because we are ignoring the systemic causes of depression baked into modern life:

• Vystopia and Anti-Veganism: This is the “existential crisis” experienced by vegans who become aware of the systemic trance of animal exploitation. Living in a world that enslaves and kills sentient beings unapologetically is a source of constant, valid trauma.
• Economic Greed: The pressure to survive in an expensive city where profit is prioritized over people. Medications can be helpful, but they don’t solve the problem of greed-driven stress.
• The Treatment “Straw-Grasp”: Everyone is grasping at straws—pills, alcohol, ketamine, social media breaks, and therapy—trying to solve a problem that isn’t their fault. It is heartbreaking to see smart, sensible people stuck trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. But what is more alarming is how these intensive treatments are promoted at an institutional level.
  • In Ontario and BC, we see a massive push for government-funded mental health and substance abuse programs that focus almost entirely on high-intensity clinical interventions. Many of these treatments feel overly aggressive, and some carry a significant risk of dependency. It is a convenient cycle: the government encourages and funds addictive or intense treatments that keep the individual focused on “recovery,” while the state avoids taking accountability for the environmental destruction and economic greed that caused the distress in the first place. It is easier to promote a government-subsidized pill or a clinical program than it is to protect our old-growth forests or dismantle the systems of animal exploitation that fuel our collective Vystopia.

When we feel this weight, we are often told to buy something or take something to feel better. But the true path to healing often involves stripping away the noise. I’ve found that we can find peace by learning to Stop Chasing Extraordinary, Start Appreciating The Ordinary. It’s about realizing that your worth isn’t tied to your productivity in a system that doesn’t care about you. For those looking for tangible, cost-free ways to ground themselves, I’ve put together a list of 10 Free Strategies for Cultivating Lasting Mental Well-Being that focus on the internal rather than the medicinal.

Living Authentically with PTSD: What to Do Instead of “Numbing”

For a long time, I thought “healing” meant the absence of symptoms. I now believe that living authentically with PTSD means acknowledging that my hyper-vigilance is a protective response to a world that hasn’t always been safe. My “symptoms” are my body’s way of saying this is not okay. Instead of trying to “cure” my emotions, I am learning to embrace them as essential parts of my whole self. This shift has been a vital part of Embracing Wholeness: The Journey to Unconditional Self-Love, where I discuss why loving your “difficult” emotions is the ultimate act of liberation.

Examples of Healthy Ways to Process our Emotions & Energy:

• Turn Feelings into Activism: Channel your anger into protecting those who cannot protect themselves.
• Art and Music as Expression: Create pieces specifically designed to scream the emotion you aren’t allowed to say out loud.
• Education: Go back to school to study the systems that make us feel this way so you can help dismantle them.
• Eco-Conscious Living: Use your connection to nature as fuel for change. Understanding that our personal choices impact the very air and water we seek solace in is vital. If you’re ready to align your lifestyle with the protection of our planet, check out A Guide to Going Vegan for the Environment.
• Intentional Nature Connection: Reconnect with the earth through camping or quiet reflection. However, we must be honest about the “environmental pollutions” and safety barriers that now complicate our relationship with the outdoors. I explore the nuances of why the “just go outside” advice can be reductive in my post Reasons to Re-Think Encouraging Going Outside.

A Path Forward for 2026: From Numbness to Awareness

By refusing to numb my reaction to these injustices, I am forcing a confrontation with the world as it is. This journey isn’t about being “anti-science”—it’s about being pro-truth. It’s about recognizing that we are whole beings living in a fractured world that would rather sedate us than change its ways.

Moving forward, I am redefining what “treatment” looks like. It is no longer found in a pharmacy bottle, but in my activism, my commitment to veganism, and my refusal to be silent. I am reclaiming my right to be “unwell” in an unwell system until that system takes accountability. I’m not fixing my brain anymore; I’m helping fix the world instead.

We have to stop asking why the birds are falling from the sky and start looking at the air they are forced to breathe. If my story resonates with you, I invite you to look at your own “symptoms” not as failures, but as messages. What is your heart trying to tell you about the world we live in?