The stigma surrounding PFS seems to be a large reason why people don’t speak up and discuss this issue with friends or family. I think it’s also a reason why people are so afraid to go public and speak out against this terrible disease.
Ask yourself, though, does the stigma really exist or is it a self-created one by our community? Is there a stigma because you took Finasteride specifically for hair loss? If you had/have taken it for its other intended purpose - benign prostate enlargement - would/do you still feel like it’s stigmatized?
Let’s look at this objectively - you took a pill for cosmetic purposes; the same reason people take pills to combat acne or improve collagen; the same reason people wear make-up or spend hundreds of dollars on new clothes, the same reason people get facial or Botox injections to improve their complexion and look younger - you just want to look and feel your best. There’s no crime in that. However, we took a pill, became sick, and now we want to get better. Where’s the stigma in that? I understand speaking about any personnel issue can be tough, but normalizing this I think is the key to bringing people out of the shadows to talk about it. As I’ve stated in the past, this is about any pharmaceutical that has ever damaged someone when they were told it was safe. There is no shame, guys.
I’ve personally opened up to several colleagues about it and haven’t received judgement from one of them. I’ve really only received sympathy, with one colleague going as far to have me send him a link to the PFS Network’s donation page.
“There are few things more liberating in life than having your worst fear realized." - Conan O’Brien