Social Media and Self-Diagnosis

More than ever, we are getting flooded with information about mental health diagnoses through social media on a daily basis. While this can help to normalize the experience of mental health symptoms and decrease societal stigma, or even bridge access to resources, it also presents some downsides that highlight the importance of being savvy consumers of online content.

Here are some pros and cons of accessing mental health content via social media:

PRO: Fostering a Sense of Community & Belonging

    • Social media provides a wide platform for seeking out relatable content, with accounts geared to raise awareness and enable users to empathize with each others’ stories.

    • People find these posts and resonate with them, leading to self-identification with various disorders like anxiety, depression, or ADHD. 

      PRO: Reducing stigma and shame

    • Social media can help reduce stigma around mental health symptoms and diagnoses, as users learn about others struggling with similar concerns, including public figures

    • Reading about mental health online can help decrease feelings of isolation and taboo around symptoms an individual may be struggling with

      CON: Inaccurate or Misleading Information

    • On social media, mental health disorders tend to be oversimplified and overgeneralized. This can lead to a lack of awareness of the complexities of these diagnoses or important considerations in assessment and clinical diagnosis. A viewer may jump to their own conclusions based on limited information, while trying to seek validation and understanding. 

      CON: Labels as a Barrier to Change

    • Labels can mean so many things: they can feel affirming, help someone give words to a longtime struggle, or as noted above, they can be a path to greater self-acceptance and finding community. Labels can also be problematic when they are used as a criticism or as if they define all of who a person is.

    • The simplified depiction of various disorders on social media can offer an appealing explanation for complex issues like breakups, disagreements in the workplace, trauma, and more. However, a diagnosis tells you very little about who a person is or the story behind the issues that have them stuck.

    • This is where therapy or personal reflective work can be key, for example, identifying factors that tend to worsen your ADHD symptoms, knowing your anxiety triggers and tools for coping rather than avoiding, or getting to the roots of unsatisfying relationship patterns, to better understand why you are attracted to certain kinds of people and how to get unstuck.

Given the potential benefits of social media, as a tool for increasing awareness and helping you to give a name to things you’ve been struggling with, how do you know when professional help is indicated?

If you have been scrolling on social media looking for answers about your own mental health, talking to a trusted professional can be a great place to explore your questions and concerns, and get clarity not just on what you’ve been struggling with, but a path forward.

Kate provides in-person and online sessions at our Rittenhouse location in Center City Philadelphia, and provides online services to clients throughout Pennsylvania. She is passionate about working with neurodivergent adults (ADHD, autism, OCD), including those diagnosed later in life.

Kate also works with college students and young adults related to anxiety, depression, self esteem, and relationship issues and career concerns.

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