Mental Health for Streamers
Something that was brought up in my team was a good question that I know some people can have a tough time with when streaming. I’ll post it verbatim below.
QUESTION: I'd love it if you could talk about impostor syndrome. Especially since, as content creators, we're kind of always "putting on a show" and it can be difficult to feel like you're being 100% yourself. And for people like you and me, who also focus on mental health but are not trained in the field, it can compound that a little bit (at least it does for me!). So how do you combat feelings like "why should anyone listen to/watch me?" or "I'm talking but don't even follow my own advice, why should anyone care?"
ANSWER: Disclaimer: I am not an expert on Twitch and I am not a trained professional but I do have background in psychology and mental health (currently finishing up my Bachelors in Psychology specifically with Addiction and Recovery). This is a loaded question and I can't be more excited to dissect it and hopefully give some peace of mind and/or advice. It's not easy to open yourself up and ask some of these questions that we so often think about in our alone time so I appreciate you taking the time to submit!
Let's start with Imposter Syndrome, what that means and what it looks like. Imposter Syndrome is a psychological term referring to a pattern of behavior where people doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent, often internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud". Whether you're a mental health advocate, professional or not, we as streamers and/or content creators probably feel this at some point because a lot of times our personalities are heightened or completely changed from who we are IRL. However, whether you have created a whole different persona or character, if you strip away all those layers of a voice, a hat, sunglasses, a wig, I'm pretty sure some of your IRL being is going to come through. That can be in the advice you give, that can be in the jokes you make, that can be in how you present yourself. I think parts of your IRL self are going to always shine through.As for mental health advocates and those who do mental health chats, it's important that you let your community know that “Hey, I am not a professional, take my advice with a grain of salt.
If you need professional help or you are in an emergency then contact the authorities or contact this hotline”. As long as you let your community know up front, the truth, then I think the “fraudulent” label is taken off the table. I think it's also important to mention that mental health advocacy comes in different forms. Some people are in dire need of professional help, some people just want some advice and some people just need someone to listen. If you're able to differentiate between those 3 and able to give the advice depending on the situation, the person, what they're saying, how they're saying it then I think that's another reason to take “fraudulent” label off the table.Finally, not taking our own advice...this happens no matter who you are, no matter what certifications you have, no matter what degree you have, it happens. It happens to me. I will listen to someone, I will give them the best advice, in my opinion, and then 3 weeks later I'm in a similar situation talking to the person I helped previously and they're like “hey you remember that advice you gave me? That was good advice”. If I gave myself my own advice, I wouldn't take it but if someone else gave me the same, word for word, advice, I'd take it.
Why? We know ourselves better than anyone else and we believe in other people before we believe in ourselves. We know that if we give ourselves the same advice, we'll come up with all these scenarios or reasons why it wouldn't work because again, we know ourselves, we know our downfalls, we have our doubts about ourselves. Simply, we believe that that advice “doesn't work for someone like me”. We so easily want to believe in other people though especially people who are in a vulnerable state. I think this concept is just part of the human condition. I think our communities know “they are human, they are not perfect”. As mental health advocates, as psychology majors, as clinicians, our whole life revolves around helping other people and putting people before ourselves. I think, by default, we won't take our own advice.
I hope this has given some insight into Imposter Syndrome and I hope that you continue helping other people because that shit matters. I hope the idea of Imposter Syndrome doesn't stop you from caring about other people and giving people real, honest advice. When giving advice, be aware of what they're saying, how they're saying it, if it's in person, watch their body language, and give your advice accordingly. Remember: more times than not, people just need someone to listen and to care. If you're worried about the advice you're giving and whether it's right or wrong, just be there and really listen. That will go far for that person.
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