James Bornstein

Assistant director, Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies

For 10 years, I endured acute anxiety and near-constant obsessive thoughts. My mind was stuck in a feedback loop.

LISTEN: Do Antidepressants Work? (On Point, 2/8/10)

2010/02/onpoint_0208_do-antidepressants-work

I feared that medication would make me a zombie; that it would sedate me, soften my ability to maintain core beliefs, morals, and sense of the world in which I wanted to live. I worried I would not be me. I was wrong.

Coming Out Of The Medicine Cabinet: Why I Take Celexa

James Bornstein: It bothers me that mental health issues and the use of antidepressants are mostly discussed only in whispers or behind closed doors. (Amanda M Hatfield/flickr)