Self-diagnosing can be convenient and accessible, yet incredibly damaging.
We’ve all seen it — videos on our Tiktok page helping us identify potential mental health diagnoses. We’ve even seen it with “put a finger down” challenges labeling specific sets of behaviors as mental illnesses and “relatable content” pertaining to everyday thoughts and appearances that could potentially be “because of a mental illness.” The rise in mental health conversations, especially post-pandemic, also comes a cost. Though social media can be helpful in beginning conversations around mental health, the line of helpful vs. harmful begins to blur as people begin utilizing these videos and tools as their only way of “seeking out help.”
In the beginning of my first year of undergrad, like many students, my mental health plummeted. It was only until I began seeking out professional help did I start to understand more about myself, my coping mechanisms, and how much support can help those that may be struggling. This being said, my introduction to potentially seeking out treatment truly began while I was sitting on my little twin-sized bed in my dorm, trying not to “crash out” while mindlessly scrolling on TikTok. With the algorithm and the content I was constantly interacting with online, videos about mental health flooded all my social media feeds and all the content I was consuming clearly pointed to one topic — mental health.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think coming across videos relating to mental illnesses are bad in any way. In fact, I think that these videos can help people learn more about themselves, their possible treatment plans, potential diagnoses and how to cope, and with accessibility, especially among marginalized communities. With the healthcare system continuing to fall to shambles, there’s no doubt that educational videos or relatable content can assist in helping people learn more about themselves and how they can potentially find healthier ways to cope. However, this being said, I think it begins to draw the line when people utilize these tools as a replacement for professional help.
Though marginalized communities struggling with their mental health may have a hard time finding treatment options, plans, or even in-network providers that are accessible; this doesn’t mean that these free online tools and videos should be utilized as a complete replacement for professional help. At the end of the day, all mental health professionals have gone through extensive training (both clinically and through school), ultimately allowing them to be qualified to make diagnoses. Most people (including myself) have not gone through the training regime that these mental health professionals have gone through and therefore, are not qualified to diagnose a mental illness. Therefore, it is crucial that we do not utilize online tools as a replacement for them.
Tools for mental health treatment may feel limited and overwhelming, however, there are also many free resources, crisis lines, and online guides that users can utilize if they are struggling. Whether these questions are where to seek help, how to seek help, or just calling immediate support lines; remember that these resources are available for all with the intentions of providing support to those that are struggling.
Self-diagnosing may feel easy in the short run and may make you feel “in” with the crowd, but remember, anyone can make videos and put them out into the social media abyss. Likewise, anyone can “claim” they’re a clinical psychiatrist, talk therapist, or licensed psychologist online. However, at a doctor’s office or in a therapy session, clinicians that you see must be trained or have experience in order to be seeing clients.
All this to say, overall, online content can be helpful in leading individuals to the right direction and educating individuals about various mental health conditions, however, these cannot be the only ways of seeking out help and treatment. Self-diagnoses can certainly be used as motivation to seek outside help and then as a way of pointing individuals to the right direction of care. However, only utilizing these videos and self-diagnoses can cause individuals to misdiagnose themselves, forcing themselves into a box that might not quite fit the criteria or diagnosis. From an avid therapy advocate and psychiatry connoisseur, remember — providers might be difficult to find, but I promise there’s a group, an office, or a caseworker somewhere that fits your needs and has a specific treatment plan catered towards you.