Pete Davidson doesn’t think Kanye West should be ashamed of taking psych meds for his mental health issues. And he’s right.
In this weekend’s episode of “Saturday Night Live,” Davidson, the cast member who has talked openly about his own struggles with mental health, urged West to take his psychiatric medication following his recent political rant on an earlier episode.
This was not the first time West has admitted skipping his medication. In May, West called American slavery “a choice” in an interview for “TMZ Live,” claiming then that he had not been compliant.
Some doctors applauded Davidson’s plea to the 41-year-old Chicago rapper, saying how important it is to end the stigma around mental illness, including the the need to take mood-stabilizing prescription medication.
West, who has been open about having bipolar disorder, is one of many patients who choose not to take their medication regularly. West has not explained why he stops.
A 2015 study found that only 50 percent of people diagnosed with schizophrenia adhered to their treatment regimen despite the fact that antipsychotic medications effectively control psychotic symptoms in 70 percent to 80 percent of schizophrenics. In a separate study, 10 percent to 60 percent of patients claimed that they did not take their antidepressants regularly, and after 40 days most claim to stop taking the medication altogether, even if the response to the drug is positive.
[“source=cnbc”]