“Prozac Positivity” by Stephen James Smith, a poet and playwright from Dublin, is powerful spoken word piece where he opens up about his deeply personal experience with mental health and the role medication played in his journey. Known for his emotionally charged performances and honest storytelling, Smith has shared his work across nearly 1,000 stages worldwide. Often referred to as “Dublin’s unofficial poet laureate,” his work has been published, translated into multiple languages, and widely featured in Irish media, where he remains a regular voice on TV and radio.

In his poem, Smith recounts his long battle with depression, one that brought him to the edge, with feelings of hopelessness and even suicidal thoughts. Eventually, he was prescribed Prozac, an antidepressant commonly used to treat depression and anxiety. However, after just 6 days on the medication, he stopped, realizing it didn’t feel right to him.

Like many medications used to treat mental health, antidepressants can come with various side effects that sometimes leave a person feeling worse instead of better. Smith reflects on this experience in a striking passage from his poem:

“A real reality is better than a medicated mentality

Moving to mediocrity, meditating to purity

Prescribe yourself some happiness, prescribe joy”

These lines capture the tension between living authentically and relying on medication to manage emotional pain. The first line suggests that, for Smith, facing life head on, even in its darkest moments, felt more honest than the altered state he experienced on medication. The second line contrasts what he sees as the emotional flatness of medication with the potential clarity found through self-reflection or meditation. The final line offers a call to take ownership of one’s happiness, emphasizing internal healing over external fixes.

While the poem clearly leans toward self-guided wellness over pharmaceutical solutions, it also opens up an important conversation. Mental health treatment is deeply personal, and what works for one person might not work for another. Smith’s perspective doesn’t dismiss medication entirely, it simply offers his honest account of trying, struggling, and choosing his own path to recovery.

Listen to the spoken word poem here

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