Antidepressants and Depression: Breaking Medication Stigma With Michael Landsberg

Taking medication for depression doesn’t mean you’re weak — it means you’re fighting for your life. In this powerful and candid conversation, sports broadcaster and mental health advocate Michael Landsberg (founder of Sick Not Weak) shares his decades-long journey with depression, anxiety, and antidepressants.

Michael speaks openly about his early resistance to medication, the relapses he endured after stopping, and the moment he realized his meds were keeping him alive. He explains his philosophy of “learning to love the thing you hate the least” — choosing antidepressants, despite side effects, because they free him from depression’s grip.

This episode challenges the stigma that keeps so many from seeking help and offers hope, validation, and practical language for anyone living with depression or supporting someone who is.

Link to Sick Not Weak, Michael Landsberg's website: www.sicknotweak.com/

Primary Topics Covered

• Michael Landsberg’s personal journey with depression and anxiety
• Early resistance to antidepressants and lessons from relapses
• The dangers of untreated depression and denial
• Stigma, masculinity, and why men avoid seeking help
• Antidepressants: benefits, side effects, and misconceptions
• “Learning to love the thing you hate the least” approach
• Warning signs of relapse and how Michael manages them
• How one person’s openness can break stigma for others
• Why recovery is about management, not cure
• The importance of honest conversations about mental health

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and thank you to supporters
 01:27 - Introducing Michael Landsberg and his advocacy work
 03:09 - Michael’s story: living with depression and anxiety
 03:44 - Speaking openly about depression and breaking stigma
 04:49 - Michael’s first experience with antidepressants
 05:37 - Stopping meds and painful relapses
 06:57 - The turning point: realizing medication was essential
 07:42 - Addressing stigma and misconceptions about meds
 08:57 - “Learning to love the thing you hate the least” explained
 09:45 - Why some people resist treatment and how to respond
 11:07 - Mistakes Michael learned from in managing depression
 12:36 - Warning signs of relapse and how he responds
 14:25 - Coping strategies: patience, perspective, and self-awareness
 15:21 - Destigmatizing through honest, everyday conversations
 16:02 - Tracking “bad days” and the role of hope in recovery
 17:37 - Final reflections and gratitude

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