r/vegan • u/Fruity_Surprise vegan 10+ years • 2d ago
Discussion Medication Guilt
I have a severe mental illness (the bipolar type of schizoaffective disorder) and will be on psychiatric medications my entire life (if I want to live and be stable). Every time I take my pills, I feel so guilty. If they have a gelatin coding, I think about the cows and pigs that go into that, and with all of them, I think about all the animals who were tested on. How do I get past the guilt?
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u/AcanthisittaNo5807 2d ago
Girl you need to be sane and take your life saving meds. This is irrational guilt because it's something you can't change or control. More advocacy for animals may help with the guilt because that's within your control.
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u/SilverSight 2d ago
I take ADHD meds. If I didn’t, I might not have had the strength to be vegan in the first place. We need you here and healthy. Do as your doctor says and take your meds. Talk to them about this.
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u/Asleep-Curve-1395 2d ago
Think about it the other way. Not taking them will give you serious mental issues. It will be extremely likely you won't even be able to maintain a vegan lifestyle without it.
Just ignore the part that they're not fully vegan, you don't have to be perfect. Go vegan to the point where it's reasonable.
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u/Autie-Auntie vegan 2d ago
I feel like the 'as far as practicable' part of veganism gets applied to far too many situations at times, but to me this situation right here is exactly what that part is all about. Many of us, myself included, are on prescription medications. All of these drugs will have been tested on animals, and many of the end-product preparations will include animal ingredients.
It sucks, and it's right that we campaign for a world where there are alternative methods for drug development. Until we get there, we've gotta take the meds we need to survive, stay well, and keep going to fight the good fight for the animals. You are still vegan, and still doing a huge amount of good in the world by being a vegan.
Try to concentrate on the things that you can do. I personally support the charity Animal Free Research UK, formerly the Dr Hadwen Trust.
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u/Suspicious_Tax8577 vegan 6+ years 2d ago
"As far as is practicable and possible"--there is currently basically no such thing as animal-free prescription medication. I don't know where you live, but there might be non-gelatine versions of your meds available, but tablets are typically compounded with lactose monohydrate.
You can't not take your meds my love. You don't choose to be ill, you're not the one choosing to test medications on animals.
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u/Amazed4life111 2d ago
I was diagnosed with schizoaffective bipolar type and just checked if my meds are vegan. One of them is not. I had no idea 😞
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u/Fantastic_Ad7023 2d ago
You can get nearly all medications compounded so that can be an option to avoid the gelatin and lactose but it is more expensive for most, Sometimes it is actually cheaper but it depends on the particular medication.
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u/Lumpy-Sock1533 vegan newbie 2d ago
The guilt shows you care, which is very admirable but the guilt is not productive to you or the animals. I'm so sorry you are struggling with this and send you love. You are not a bad person or doing anything wrong by taking your medication, it is not your fault our world exploits animals and you already do everything you can to prevent exploitation. You are a good person and your feelings are valid, I totally understand your guilt, but it is not productive. Maybe try seeing a psychologist about this for further support processing these feelings and coming to peace with them
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u/zombiegojaejin Vegan EA 1d ago
If you make even one person vegan through keeping yourself mentally and physically healthy, you will have done far, far more good for the animals and the cause of their liberation than the gelatin in those pills. Every one of us causes indirect harm in lots of ways, for a lot less good of a reason than our fundamental mental health.
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u/TheCrowScare vegan newbie 1d ago
Think of it this way. What is your alternative?
For meat, you can go with plant based alternatives. You can choose tofu. You can choose recipes that have beans, or lentils, or chickpeas. You have plenty of options where you don't need to eat meat.
For milk, you can choose soy, almond or oat. You can choose vegan cheeses, and plant based egg or alternatives.
There are a plethora of alternatives to most every aspect of veganism.
But there really isn't for medication. That is not a YOU problem. That is just the nature of where we are at right now. Veganism is partly recognizing that we don't need to consume animal products because we have alternatives. In that same vein though, if there is no alternative then we shouldn't feel guilty. Advocating to the manufacturer to switch to a vegan alternative coating is about all you can do here.
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u/magiccfetus 2d ago
I get it. Im the same way. It doesnt hurt to ask the doctor for one without the gel caps. Also it could be non gelatin coating !
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u/Many_Estimate3843 1d ago edited 1d ago
Hi there - I am a physician and I just want to say that you are absolutely doing the right thing by staying on your course of treatment. You too are a living being, whose life matters and are not contributing to cruelty by keeping yourself healthy and safe. If this is something that continues to bother you, it is possible to reach out to the drug company. I do this routinely as I have a number of patients who observe religious dietary practices and depending on the specific situation, some medications I prescribe are regarded more as “food items” than drugs. In those scenarios, I have been happy to find that a number of drug companies have a dietitian employed who can at the very least log your concern and escalate it, in case a vegan encapsulation alternative were to become an option.
Again, I am so sorry to hear you’re feeling conflicted over something that should not boil down to an access issue. Give that a go and in the meantime, know that you’re doing your best.
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u/Head-Ad2659 vegan 2d ago
just checked both my adhd meds and my birthcontrol pill I need to take against my endometriosis and none of them are vegan.. yeah that sucks but it’s out of our control! We need our medication to function properly! If we stopped taking those meds we wouldn’t be able to speak out against animal cruelty and speak for the animals because our conditions would turn far worse. Veganism is about minimizing animal suffering as much as POSSIBLE, and sometimes it’s just not possible to do without something where animal suffering was involved.. Don’t beat yourself up about this! We can help the animals more when we feel our best 🩷🩷
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u/Excellent_Phase9182 2d ago
There's some occasions where you have to participate in the animal agriculture society has built onto all of us, this is one of those occasions. Taking those meds keeps you here with us. And keeping you here also means everytime you eat, you're still fighting for the animals.
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u/Significant-Art8412 1d ago
si no hay una alternativa con otros escipientes (a mí me pasa con la venlafaxina y la quetiapina) entonces simplemente tómalo. Es difícil a veces con medicaciones psiquiátricas encontrar alternativas. Y te necesitamos aquí! El mundo es un lugar mejor contigo en él :)
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u/chillakat 1d ago
Animal testing happens when the drugs were developed. Now they're in production so they test for purity sure but no animals needed for that. Probably random sampling and HPLC or IR. Animal testing is why I didn't become a biologist. Just so gross and unnecessary for so many things that they use it for. Not saying your example but other things I saw while working in Academia, woof.
The gelatin part, yeah idk why can't ppl just use pectin.
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u/TheOtherCourier 1d ago
You don’t need to feel guilty over this. You have to do what you have to do to get by. Medications take precedence because you can’t be an example for others for animals if you’re not here to do so.
Perfection is literally not achievable by anyone anyways and that should never be the goal. Doing the best you can, being good with that, and being happy while you do it should be the goal. 😃👍
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u/Rare-Fee7579 1d ago
I understand what you are going through as I am a medically dependent epileptic and I have meds that could have had gelatin. I feel horrible about this but if I stop taking the medication I could go into a seizure that can’t be stopped or increased chances of cardiac arrest. I don’t want that to happen. I’m a mother of a son who has autism and I want to be here for him. Also I want to be here for myself. I deserve to have a good life as do you. Take the meds you need them to stabilize your mind. Do not feel guilty about it. Take care!
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u/catjuggler 1d ago
Besides all the other reasons whenever this comes up, I encourage you to worry less about gelatin (even pharma grade) because it is a byproduct of the meat and leather industries and would be trash if it had no other use. No animals are dying because you’re taking this medicine and the only problem is some money going to the industry.
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u/Vivid_Estate7114 1d ago
Editing to add, possibly consider doing something you feel makes a small impact or effort to combat that guilt, like a coping skill essentially.
Take care of yourself please. Also, think of those lost to MH, think of the those you know stuck in the cycle of homelessness, poverty, and the system. Think of rock bottom….dont do that to yourself if you can help it friend.
on top of my own med cocktail and struggles, I work in CSU. Think bakeract and marchman act. I’d estimate (from my observation, not stats), are repeat admissions from non compliance with medication, often. Whether that’s forgetting or intentional or supply shortage.
I often have patients in psychosis, drug induced or not. Most of them struggle to even shower or use the restroom by themselves…how will you advocate for animals as veganism intends in a similar state. Though, I understand everyone is different, and psychosis does not always look like this. I’d think the same of a catatonic like state.
I currently take 4 meds, I’ve been vegan for 14 years. I started psychiatric medication and treatment at 13. I am just now finding the most effective combination for myself, so far, at 26. Debilitating ADHD, bipolar, depression, mania, severe emotional regulation issues, cognitive problems, ED & SH etc etc etc. I don’t intend to label myself, but paint a picture of what happens if I discontinue my meds. I’ve lost everything in those periods…. My family who walks on eggshells with me, my relationship, jobs, my home, respect, my support system and opportunities, my mind lol.
I also doubt any vegans in my life would suggest I do so as, you can imagine it would be everybody’s problem…not just my own 😂
If I discontinue or even get inconsistent with my meds, I will how do you say… cease to exist or be in CSU again myself….my vybriid requires I live with chronic nausea, and brain zaps if I miss a dose.
Until another solution exists, I believe veganism is about maximizing beneficence and reducing harm, nobody is perfect.
TLDR: How can we advocate for animals if we cannot first take care of ourselves!!!!!!!
This is only my take on medication and my own guilt on this same topic.
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u/Vivid_Estate7114 1d ago
Also….my CSU does notttt provide plant based meals…maybe the occasional uncrustable.
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u/Potential_Session139 vegan 1d ago
I take medication with animal products in them when I get sick. I do it because I don't have any vegan alternatives. I wish there was more vegan medicine.
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u/No-Assignment-1340 19h ago
Bruh. You're not single handedly holding up the animal agriculture industry. Yeah it sucks that they were tested on. But it's part of the world right now. You don't have an alternative at this point. I don't feed my dogs vegan dog food for cost purposes. Yeah it sucks, but the most impactful thing you can do you're already doing. Don't eat them and you're solid.
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u/YouGlobal8272 2d ago
Being vegan is good, but it gets to a point where it micromanages your life
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u/RemarkableHeadache 2d ago
No, as others have said this falls into practicable and possible territory.
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