Mental Health TikTok, Helpful or Hurtful?

o   Have you ever found yourself scrolling through social media noticing an increasing amount of content devoted to mental health symptoms and diagnoses? Sometimes relating to this content is empowering- knowing I’m not alone in my struggle. It’s a perfectly appropriate part of human nature to want to connect with others and relate our experiences. But what happens when we get this information from someone that is not licensed or does not know us personally? 

o   The dark side to this uptick (no pun intended) in mental health content on social media is that it becomes so easy to pathologize our behaviors, seeing them in a negative light. You might wonder if these behaviors are worthy of medical intervention. Which is not always needed and can cause more anxiety as one wonders how to “fix” this new disorder.

o   There isn’t a one size fits all solution for the mental health content being created, but as a practitioner who cares, I encourage you to take what you see with a grain of salt. Reflect on whether or not certain behaviors are affecting your life, and how much. Ask yourself if what you are experiencing is a reaction to a specific event or continuous throughout your day-to-day life. 

o   One of the benefits of having a therapist who can discuss these things without judgment is that I will have a collaborative conversation with you. I will remain curious about your experiences and together we can decide about the necessity of another intervention (medication, certain therapies, etc). 

o   If you find yourself relating to mental health content but feeling unsure what to do and how to find support, please reach out. I am happy to talk with you about anxiety, depression, ADHD, life transitions, or relationship troubles. Instead of sorting through this alone, allow me to walk through it with you- side by side.