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Overall, I had a positive experience using Hers. I’ve been dealing with anxiety and stress lately, and I thought Hers would be a convenient way to seek treatment. However, I felt uncomfortable getting a prescription anxiety medication without any real interaction with a medical professional.

I started by taking the free mental health assessment. The questions were vague, asking me to rate how often I felt various anxiety and depression symptoms in the last two weeks by selecting one of the four options (not at all, several days, more than half the days, nearly every day). The questionnaire took about 10 minutes, and suggested I may have mild depression and moderate anxiety, but the service noted this was not an official diagnosis.

After the mental health assessment, I provided basic information about my medical history. Based on the information I provided, Hers suggested that a provider may consider prescribing a daily medication called escitalopram, a generic form of Lexapro, which is used to treat major depression and generalized anxiety disorders. Hers did recommend other medications, but I went forward with escitalopram.

After choosing my treatment, I provided my shipping information and a photo of my Illinois ID. The prescription cost was provided and I was asked for my credit card information. However, Hers did not charge me until a doctor approved my request, which happened the same day.

I received a text message and an email letting me know my prescription was approved less than an hour later, and a doctor sent a note explaining the medication that I could view by logging into my Hers account. The message gave detailed information about the prescription and other treatment suggestions, such as therapy, which I could sign up for through Hers.

I received the prescription about five days after it was approved and started taking it every morning with breakfast. After about two weeks, I haven’t felt a difference in my stress or anxiety, but the doctor did mention it may take up to four weeks to feel results.

Even though I received a message from a doctor and had an opportunity to message the doctor back, it didn’t feel like a real person was on the other side of the message. It wasn’t personalized and felt like a generic response.

As the experts I spoke to mentioned, I don’t think I would have received the help I needed if I was experiencing a severe mental health condition, but for me, it was an excellent first step in trying to take better care of my mental health.