Mental Health on Social Media
Hi everyone! 😊
There has been a lot of media coverage around Kanye West at the moment - with a bunch of misinformation around mental health attached to it unfortunately. I wanted to chat about this a little more and open up the conversation a bit, so we can have a space as a community to share our experiences, learn more about Bipolar and other mental health concerns, and talk about ways we can support people that may be struggling.
If you're unaware, many high profile people, like Kanye, have previously publicly talked about being diagnosed with Bipolar and other mental health conditions. So what is Bipolar? In short, Bipolar disorder is when people experience serious extremes of mood, to the point where their moods interfere with their daily life. If you have bipolar disorder, your mood is likely to go through extreme highs (known as mania or hypomania) and lows (known as depression). Like all mental health issues, it affects everyone differently, so if anyone here has Bipolar and would like to share how it affects them, you are very welcome to chat about it below 😊 We have some great resources here, that could help anyone struggling with Bipolar too.
Seeing someone struggling so publicly and seemingly not getting the support they need, can be really triggering and upsetting. Especially so, when there is a lot of negative feedback minimising someone's experience, talking over their experience or making fun of their experience. What are some ways we can check in on ourselves when this happens? This article talks about how to cope with bad world news, but it can be applied to things we see on social media too. Does anyone else have any tips they use to help keep their social media feeds healthy?
If you have a friend or a family member that has Bipolar, here's some great tips on how to support them. I think in general, the most important things to do if your loved one is experiencing any type of mental health struggles, is to listen without judgment, ask them what support they would like from you and assure them that you care about them. What are some ways you have either given or received some support when they/you were struggling?
Important notes :
- It is OK if you struggle or have mental health issues that are difficult to cope with sometimes.
- It is not OK to make fun of or judge someone ever, but especially if they have mental health concerns.
- It is really important and brave to reach out for help when you need it.
- It can make a massive difference to someone when you can support them through tough times 😊
Please share you thoughts, experiences and questions below 💕
Comments
I'm a bit late to this but I have Bipolar II and am happy to talk about it! 😊
Thanks so much @StormySeas17 that's really kind of you to offer to share your first hand experience ❤️
If you feel comfortable sharing, I would love to know how Bipolar II affects you and what supports or strategies you have in place that help you?
@Iona-RO Sorry took me a while to get back to this! I will honestly say that for me as someone who is managing their illness really well with medication, the worst part of the diagnosis is the stigma. When people hear bipolar they think "crazy" and "helpless" and even "dangerous". I'm always scared that if I publicise the fact I have bipolar people will think that I'm somehow 'unsafe' or unpredictable to work with despite the fact that I'm a very successful person honestly.
The most frustrating part outside that is the constant self-awareness of any mood shifts I have. I've been told by professionals that I've come into a habit of pathologising my feelings and assuming that they need to be treated and are abnormal when they're natural for the situation, which is honestly pretty sad compared to someone without the condition. I also have GAD which isn't really helped by my bipolar medication so that's something that I need to deal with, but I'm reluctant to medicate myself any more because it's expensive and I've been pretty lucky with my side effects so far.
However I do have strategies in place! One of the main things that I've been doing is being very picky with who and what I include in my life. As soon as someone or something begins to bring me down, I begin to question whether I want someone in my life who affects my mood in that way. I also try to do things that I know lift my mood regularly: for me this is exercise, getting enough sleep (this is essential!), making little victories and being productive, and hobbies (which I have been neglecting at the moment oops). I mentioned this in my weekly wellbeing, but I've also found that giving myself small rewards and self care when things are difficult really boosts my mood. At the end of the day I just have to be more accountable to my self-care than maybe the average person is. With that in mind, I have come to where I am WITH my mental illness, not in spite of it. I hope that expression makes sense to others!
Thank you so much for sharing all of this @StormySeas17 ❤️ Such a great insight into your experience and some amazing strategies you have in place that I'm sure the community will benefit from reading about too.
I'm really sorry to hear that you have to deal with that negative stigma, it really shines a light on how much more education people need around mental health and how to support people instead of judging them. But so amazing to hear that you are living your life in a successful way regardless of what obstacles you may face, so important for people to see we are more than our struggles. Is there anything you would like people to do to make you feel more safe about talking about your diagnosis or how you'd like them to show their support?
I imagine it must be pretty exhausting to always feel like you have to be aware of any mood changes you have. I think a lot of people who don't have any mental health concerns don't realise how draining it can be to have to be self-aware so much. I'm really glad to hear that the medication is helping your Bipolar II symptoms. It is a tricky one though isn't it? So many mental health issues are paired up with others and it's very difficult to find medication or a combo of meds that help with both. And yes, can be very expensive too!
It is so great to hear how much you value yourself and your energy by only including people you know love are care for you in the way that you need in your life. That can be a really hard thing to navigate, so well done for getting to a point where you rightfully put your needs first. And so many other great tips you've shared as part of your self-care habits too. And that last sentence you've written - 'I have come to where I am WITH my mental illness, not in spite of it.' - so insightful and just spot on. 👏
Thanks again for sharing @StormySeas17 ❤️
Hi @Skylarswims
I just replied to another comment of yours where you might like to chat more about how you're feeling. But feel free to share your thoughts here too if you'd like - we're here to support you ❤️
Hi @Iona-RO
I've been noticing recently that social media has been flooded with a conversation around mental health- both positive and negative. I've noticed there are a lot of posts and comments on Instagram which do not have the correct definition and perspectives on mental health- there is a toxic culture of productivity and hustle as well.
In terms of Bipolar disorder (thanks for attaching information and resources on that!) I don't know anybody in my life who struggles with Bipolar, but I do know a couple of people with BPD (Borderline personality disorder) and know that they have a little bit of overlap. So everything you said has really helped!
Hey @goldwing03
Social media really is a mixed bag when it comes to mental health content isn't it? I've found some really helpful information on TikTok that has really helped me and actually ended up giving me the validation I needed to go get an ADHD diagnosis - turns out my TikTok algorithm was spot on! But then like you say, there's a whole other side that just shares misinformation for the sake of more likes which is really disappointing.
And totally agree about the whole toxic productivity that social media pushes so much! It's really difficult sometimes viewing people and their seemingly 'perfect' lives on social media and comparing yourself. It's definitely good to remember their posts/videos are just a verrrryyy short snippet of their life and we never really know what's going on after the camera is switched off. And tbh, I think a lot of people who feel the need to share how great their life is all the time, tend to be people that aren't actually very happy in reality.
Great to hear that the information helped a bit too. We have an article all about BPD as well that might help you understand and be able to support your friends more too 😊
When I see something in the media about mental health that doesn't sit right with me, I try and block it out or if its on social media I use; I block it.
Sometimes I might look into it more to see if it is real, or others are talking about it.
I try to look at quotes and things (supportive videos) I love to make sure my social media page more healthy.
I have received some support from my friends regarding my mental health, One friend in particular I mainly go to as they don't behind my back and understand where I am coming from.
I have given support to one of my friends online and a friend from school, by asking them how they feel and letting them know I'm here for them to vent too.
Hey @Brydz17 , that sounds like a really healthy approach to using social media. Sometimes I do the same thing and look up videos and accounts that make me feel good - social media is meant to be fun, not stressful, but sometimes I forget that I have control over what I want to see (at least sometimes).
I'm really glad to hear that you've received some support from your friend and that you've been able to offer some, too. It sounds like you're part of a nice network of people who are looking out for each other 🥰
