One pill. That’s all it is. Between getting your kids ready for school and cooking dinner, this should be the easiest task of your day. But for people like me, I always fall short when it comes to taking my antidepressant daily. Sometimes, I’m all cozy in bed when I realize I haven’t taken my daily dose of Lexapro. I’m just so tired by the end of the day, sometimes I just end up skipping that day’s dose. The next day I reap all the wonderful benefits. In come the headaches, dizziness, and fatigue and I instantly regret what I’ve done. It’s totally not worth it, so here are some tips I’ve found helpful in staying on top of my antidepressant.
1. Use an Alarm
This should be the most obvious method of how to remind yourself to take your antidepressant, but it really works. Set an alarm for the same time every day for when you should take your pill. Pick an annoying ringtone too, so you’ll be sure to abide by it.
2. Consider Taking Your Pills at Night
If it makes no difference whether you take your pills in the morning or at night, I recommend taking them at night. My antidepressant makes me particularly tired, so it works out perfectly since I’ll be in bed anyway. You’re more likely to go to bed at a more consistent time than you wake up. During the weekends, you’ll surely want to sleep in. The last thing you’ll want to do is wake up at 7AM to take your antidepressant. And don’t act like you stay up late on the weekends anyway. We all know your social life is over when you have kids.
3. Keep Your Pills Next to Your Bed With a Water Bottle
The biggest problem for me is not the forgetting of my antidepressant, but rather actually getting my big butt up to take it. I usually keep my antidepressant in our bedroom, but I hate having to walk to the kitchen to get a glass of water. So what I’ve started doing is leaving a water bottle next to my antidepressant so that I don’t have to worry about that long walk across my apartment to the kitchen. It’s pretty genius. Or at least until I run out of water.
4. Have Your Partner Hold you Accountable
It’s in my partner’s best interest if I take my “crazy pill” everyday, so he will usually ask me before we go to bed if I’ve taken my pill yet. I can’t lie, so if I’m honest and haven’t taken my pill yet, he’ll ensure I do. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, he’ll even get up and get my pill bottle and water for me. He is truly a huge help.
5. Incorporate Your Antidepressant Into Your Routine
After washing your face and brushing your teeth, your next move should be to take your antidepressant. Don’t get all cozy in bed, because I promise you won’t want to get up. After much practice, taking your antidepressant will come like clockwork.
6. Get Your Antidepressant Delivered
A lot of pharmacies and insurance companies are keeping up with the times and allowing for free delivery of medications. This is so convenient when your schedule is crazy busy and your pharmacy closes early. I hate making the time to stop by the pharmacy with my little one and often ask my husband to pick up my prescription. Now, you won’t have to worry about anyone picking up your prescription and instead can get it conveniently delivered to your home.
Regular use of antidepressants is a must. Forgetting here and there will leave you wishing you hadn’t. The headaches are enough to make me never want to forget again. Besides, your family needs your best version of you, so do what’s best for you and make sure you take that small pill everyday. You’ll be glad you did.