People use social media in a thousand different ways. Whether it is to expose their lifestyle, make memes or a portfolio to show their work, once you are inside that environment it becomes very hard to leave it without having the feeling of being alienated from the world. This is the toxic side of a life online. Take Instagram for example: no one is going to post a picture showing their worst side. The feed has to be beautiful, has to be happy and inviting, or so the social media code dictates. When looking of photos of people surrounded with friends all the time, in full fancy clothes and complex makeups, the Little Mermaid phrase has never made so much sense: “The seaweed is always greener, in somebody else’s lake”.
Meanwhile, there are some blessed souls that decided to use this potentially negative environment to spread help and awareness about mental health. Here are 7 Instagram accounts about mental health and well-being that you should know:
- Obvious Agency (@obviousagency)
-
“Female Narratives” is written in this account’s bio. Made by women for women, the profile not only has an Instagram account, but also counts with a youtube channel, a facebook page, newsletters and a podcast called “Bom Dia, Obvious”. The posts follow a very specific esthetic with drawings and sayings. They encourage self recognition and knowledge, as well as embracing every feeling and supporting other girls. They also give tips to transmit a positive aura through rituals and meditation.
You can also find cute random pictures in their feed such as golden retriever wrapped in a blanket or a photo os Tyra Banks with a pink shiny makeup in the 90s.
- Escola de Redução de Estresse (@reduzaestresse)
-
With soothing post designs, with cute little cartoonish animals and inspirational phrases, this account is filled with positivity. Their main editorial line is to make posts that follow the same esthetic: same type of letter font with short sayings. Their main goal – as illustrated in the name of the page – is to teach users how to slow down and face setbacks with lightness and a more upward point of view. Throughout the day, several posts are made, in order to guarantee the well-being of followers and to keep spreading a positive energy.
- Camila Pasquarelli (@inspireoutras)
-
This is a personal profile, meaning that Camila, the account’s owner, chose to use her space in social media to elevate other girls’ self esteem and create a supporting network. She constantly shows herself in the page, posting pictures with subtitles encouraging women to be their most authentic self and to make things focusing on their own happiness.
The interaction is highly praised with questions made by Camila in her stories and posts, which answers she replies as much as she can. The posts vary through horoscope to body acceptance, but always using a feminine character to illustrate with a positive tone. She also talks about feminism and sorority, enhancing the female bound she praises so much.
- Sara Kuburic, MA, CCC (@millennial.therapist)
-
“Existential psychotherapist raising awareness and writing about what it means to be human.” This is the description found in the account’s bio. As it says, the profile is run by a therapist, Sara Kuburic, that chose to use social media to spread more of her daily work and to reach people that are not necessarily her patients. With patterned colors and post styles, Sara priorizes making lists such as “Standing up for ourselves entails” and “Lessons to unlearn”.
She tries to do something manual-like to help people recognize what they are experiencing and, also, supply some kind of guidance towards improvement, always with the safe conduct of seeking professional help. Her topics include: relationships, parenting, childhood, vulnerability, among others. While going through her account is possible to be touched by subjects and feelings that never before has crossed our minds, forcing us to have an introspective experience to search in ourselves what is still not quite good and what we are already improving without giving proper attention.
- Let’s Talk About Mental Health (@letstaksaboutmentalhealth)
-
“1 in 4 people have mental health issues. Help end the stigma by submitting your story on our website”. In this bio description it is quite clear that this profile encourages storytelling and sharing experiences. The reason is simple: once you find that there are other people in a similar, or even identical, situation as yourself, taking about it becomes easier and is a very important first step towards improving mental health. Also following a particular color and drawing esthetic, every post is accompanied by a short quote of someone who decided to share, or even a link leading to the full depoiment.
The main topics are depression and anxiety, aiming at letting yourself feel every emotion, understanding where the feeling is coming from and outlining an improvement path. Time and process walks side by side in the editorial choices in this profile, always pointing out that every cure is a process which takes time, and everyone has a different way of dealing with complex emotions.
- Self-Care Is For Everyone (@selfcareisforeveryone)
-
As the profile’s name says, self care really is for everyone. Every single person should seek ways to improve their mind state and this account brings real examples of that. Whether is a video or a picture, it is always highlighting real stories of people that have found their mental balance and their journey through self discovery. Intertwined with the storytelling, there are colorful and schematic posts with motivational phrases and lists of all sorts.
“A space that honors the importance of choosing self-care over self-harm.” is how the account has been described by its owner and it really shows when all the posts have a comforting aspect to them, trying to give some assurance that things are going to be fine.
- Talkspace (@talkspace)
-
“Therapy wherever & whenever you need it.” With texts and videos, this profile, as pointed out in the description, brings tips, instructions and projects to improve people’s mind set. With professional therapist, pinterest-like quotes and depoiments, the account outline main goal is to lend a helping hand to people in mental pain and, also, to emphasize that you are not the only person in the world that is suffering. Oddly enough, knowing that there are other people in the same situation as yourself, gives some kind of comfort.
At the same time, knowing that someone has gone through the same thing and got better, gives hope and there is nothing more powerful to improvement process than hope.
I think is important for me to point out that having a space in social media to talk about mental health, acceptance and self esteem, among all the fitness and beauty influencers adding up to social standards and patterns, is very important and healthy. However, this accounts, as helpful as they are, are not substitutes to professionals such as therapists and psychiatrists. These mental health pros can effectively create a treatment personalized for you and keep track of your ups and downs. Use this social media accounts to have comfort and to remind yourself that it is ok to not be ok, but, if you are mentally in pain, seek professional help.
Your most authentic and raw self, is your better self. In the words of a great contemporary philosopher Sebastian, in his manifest, Under the Sea, “Such wonderful thing around, what more is lookin’ for?”
—————————————————————–
The article above was edited by Mel Trench.
Liked this type of content? Check Her Campus Casper Libero home page for more!