Faye Minton
By combining his medical training with his passion for mental health awareness and embracing his social media following, Dr Alex has created a perfect recipe for change.
The A&E doctor-turned-Islander (turned-government mental health advisor-turned-radio show host-turned-podcast host) has devoted his career to promoting positive wellbeing and has sparked an abundance of crucial conversations along the way.
Posting pills
The #PostYourPill campaign has undoubtedly been one of Dr Alex’s most longstanding, notable achievements. Since November 2021, Alex has urged people to share snaps of their prescribed medication on social media, in a bid to break the stigma attached to seeking help when you’re in need.
“it makes me stronger”
In a poignant post, Dr Alex showed a small pill in the centre of his outstretched palm. He described his own personal battles with anxiety in the caption, sharing how taking medication, alongside embracing therapy, has enabled him to manage his mental health.
He wrote, “I can tell you now, I am not ashamed. I AM PROUD to take control of my own health. This does not make me weak or less able, it makes me stronger.”
He hoped that by creating conversation and working towards normalising medication, people who felt they needed it would not face the barriers of shame that have existed for far too long. He urged people to post their own pills under the hashtag if they felt able to so that a positive and open conversation could happen and sweep across social media to find those people who needed to hear it.
“men are far more likely to turn to alcohol and recreational drugs”
It was a success – thousands of people who regularly take medication to manage their mental health felt emboldened to join. And many people who thought they might need medication but were concerned about the stigma quickly realised that there was nothing shameful about taking steps toward healing. Instead, they saw it as empowering – for the first time, they were encouraged to view taking steps towards healing their mental health as a courageous experience.
This was particularly true for some men who witnessed the movement. As a young man himself, Dr Alex’s open dialogues about mental health issues have begun to transform the way we consider the role and emotions of men in society. Alex’s candid approach to discussing his own mental health has gone a long way toward normalising the concept that men can also struggle with their own mind, and their own body image, no matter how well they appear on the outside.
ONS data states that the male suicide rate is much higher than the female, standing at 15.3 suicides in every 100,000 men, and only 4.9 suicides per 100,000 women. Similarly, The Mental Health Foundation found that men are far more likely to turn to alcohol and recreational drugs to cope than efficient psychological therapies. This is a difference that needs to be addressed in any way possible – and Alex’s method is definitely helping.
Making a difference
In his Instagram story highlights ever since the movement began, Alex has reshared his followers’ “pill posts” and private messages of gratitude to highlight just how necessary the campaign was.
One screenshot shows a direct message from a follower. “Your post a pill campaign struck me”, they said, before confiding in Alex about their struggles with anxiety. They went on to say how his initiative made them realise they could take medication “as a preventative to a spiral instead of a reactive when I’m too far in the hole”.
“Who knew what such a little tablet could do.”
Another message, shared to Alex’s main Instagram feed, showed a user thanking him. “I’d go so far as to say you changed my life with removing the stigma,” they said. “Who knew what such a little tablet could do.”
Alex is frequently commended for the admirable way he has used his platform. One user reposted by Alex (@becky_e_nisbet) agreed that “you wouldn’t question taking pills for your physical health, so why is there [a stigma about taking medication] for your mental health?”. @themummybird gushed “thanks to @dralexgeorge so many more people will no longer be ashamed of sharing their medication. Here’s mine and this helps me each and every day.”
Other avenues
As almost anything on social media does, Alex’s movement and opening of this conversation has faced backlash. Some have criticised Alex for “encouraging” medication and promoting it as a “cure-all” for mental health issues. Different doses of different medications can have drastically different effects on a person, and some observers feared that the movement dangerously simplified the scale of the topic.
Alex frequently addresses these statements. From the very first post that sparked the campaign, he stated “this post is not about saying medication is the ‘answer’ for everyone, rather to say that those who need it should have access without barriers or shame.” And in another Instagram post on 1 March 2022, he insisted “this is not a ‘pro-medication’ movement, it’s an ‘anti-outdated views’ one.”
“get those endorphins pumping”
In fact, Dr Alex is extremely inclusive in the way he conducts his conversations about mental health, so medication isn’t the only mental health aid that he puts energy into promoting. He regularly advertises other methods to get help, such as talking therapy, and creating a healthy social bubble around you, where boundaries are maintained, and respect and love are abundant.
His new podcast, Stompcast, launched on 25 July 2022. It is a positive mental health-centred podcast, where every Monday, Alex invites a new guest to join him on a walk in a location important to them as they have a conversation that you can ‘stomp’ to. He encourages you to get out and walk as you listen, too, to “get those endorphins pumping”, because “our mind and body can be transformed through the simple act of walking”.
“the difference he has made is blatant”
Geordie Shore legend Vicky Pattison joined him for the first episode, chatting about burnout, challenging typical views about success, and personal insecurities. And the psychologist-slash-social media figure, Dr Julie Smith, stomped alongside Alex for episode two, which touched on the science of mental health and the benefits of medication.
Again, by elevating figures like these, who also have significant platforms, Alex is creating an extremely large space that these progressive conversations can spread across. Whether you’re a fan of his or not, the difference he has made is undeniable, and I have no doubt he’ll continue to help change the content we see on mainstream social media for the better.
You can listen to Dr Alex’s Stompcast here.
If you feel you need help with your mental health, see your GP or a healthcare professional. Alternatively, you can find a list of resources here.
Featured image courtesy of Lina Trochez on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
Faye Minton
Faye is a former Empoword Editor in Chief and an MA International Journalism student at Swansea University.