There is currently an epidemic of self-diagnosis rising in our society. Individuals who are stressed, sad or worried quickly take the road of labeling themselves with OCD, Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, PTSD and the list goes on and on. Don’t get me wrong here. I’m a mental health professional who believes in the necessity of diagnosis and treatment…BUT…I believe in them only when they are being done correctly by a qualified professional.
I often hear a lot of caring folks label the people they love with disorders and illnesses of various kinds. Interestingly enough, though, once the therapeutic process begins and we dive into the world of counseling, those individuals usually don’t have any of the symptoms that are related to the diagnosis their loved one assigned. Here’s a perfect example: a mom brings in her 7 year old and states that she is certain the child is bipolar. One minute the child is happy and the next they are angry and throwing tantrums. After further examination of the situation, though, it becomes obvious that the child is not bipolar. They don’t exhibit the normal symptoms of such diagnosis. What is evident, though, is that the child has learned to manipulate and control mom by throwing fits, crying, kicking, screaming, etc. in order to get their way.
This same situation has been played out with adults, as well. Scroll your social media feed and you’re likely to find friends who diagnose themselves based on the criteria of memes and random quotes. What’s worse, many will encourage others to “own” their mental health issues in ways that are not productive. I see a lot of people in my own social media feed who dole out mental health advice that will in no way benefit a person who is truly struggling with anxiety, depression and the like.
For the record, I think the intention of these people is in the right place. They want to help others and seem relatable. They want to share their message in the hopes that it will encourage another person who is struggling. Unfortunately, the benefits and necessity of proper mental health treatment get lost in translation with these posts and shout outs.
It would be more beneficial if we would recognize the struggle we are enduring and then take the next step to seek help for ourselves. It does no good to ourselves or our loved ones or to the mental health community as a whole if we encourage others to embrace the chaos, and do zilch about it.
If you are struggling mentally, emotionally or behaviorally, I encourage you to research the mental health providers in your area and seek their services. Let’s all do what we can to create a positive, non-judgmental, accepting view of mental health and the many benefits that proper treatment can offer. ♥♥♥
Crossroads Mental Health Services 