Shannon Purser Opens Up About Mental Illness & Taking Medication: 'It Gets Better'

Shannon Purser has only been in the limelight for a few years, but she is already using her platform to speak out about important issues and to reach out to her followers with messages of hope and resilience.

In a new Instagram post, the Stranger Things and Riverdale actress opens up about taking medication for her anxiety and depression, and how it has changed her life.

“I’ve been taking Prozac for my anxiety/depression for several years now,” she writes. “Sometimes I think back on when I first realized that I needed help. I was at the lowest point of my life. I didn’t want to get out of bed or eat. I didn’t want to be alive.”

“The thing I am most thankful for was being able to ask for and receive help. This medication coupled with therapy has completely changed my life for the better. I finally have hope for my future and I wanna be there to see it.”

“Meds aren’t for everyone and that’s okay. There are lots of alternatives and your doctor can help you figure those out! Maybe you have a healthy brain and you don’t need them at all! I suppose I just want this post to reach anyone who feels like they’re alone in their struggle with mental illness. Maybe you feel like you’re weak somehow for needing medication or therapy. You’re not. There’s a whole family of fighters all around you, hiding in plain sight. I know saying that it gets better is a clich�, but it really does.”

We thank Shannon for speaking out and for helping to lessen the stigma around both mental health issues and the medication needed to combat them.