this is going to sound harsh, but 2011-2016’s mental illness romanticization walked so today’s era of “everyone has this very rare mental illness/let’s spread misinformation through tumblr, tiktok and twitter” could run.
i used to think i had borderline personality disorder (BPD) and i know it was because of that era of tumblr. i know that’s where i learned about it, too. and before that, it was the 2011-2016 (and estimate of its peak; it’s never gone away) romanticizing mental illness tumblr that i was so invested in and got fucked over by. i remember characterizing BPD simply as having frequently varying emotions, and because so many people had the #actuallybpd tag or similar, i thought i must be the same way. to be fair, i was thirteen when i joined and lacked critical thinking skills, but i know several adults who are the same way.
we seem to go through cycles of trending mental illnesses. first it was depression, then it was BPD, and now, for some reason, it’s dissociative identity disorder (DID). everyone seems to have it now, despite it affecting an estimate of between 0.01% and 0.1% of the earth’s entire population. it’s also one of the most misdiagnosed ones, even by medical professionals. (hell i used to think i had it simply because i dissociate) and sure, having more awareness and advocacy of this serious mental illness is a contributing factor, but how many people are self-diagnosing based on misinformation they got from tiktok or colorful infographics? while it’s great for people to find a voice, the problem lies within those who are either pretending to have it, or have the wrong diagnosis (whether self or professional) and are spreading misinformation. (or did someone see the egregiously ableist and inaccurate portrayal of DID in the film split and run with it?)
do not get me wrong: i believe that self-diagnosis is a valid method in place of a mental health professional **when one is not able to seek one out and has done their own research with verified medical literature,** not what they read on such-and-such social media platform. for those who are able to get an official diagnosis, it may take more than one professional and usually several sessions to determine the correct mental illness(es). additionally, certain professionals with be more credible if they specialize in a specific mental illness. i was told by one of my counselor friends that in their schooling, they spent around 45 minutes on dissociative identity disorder because so few people have it. i went through six mental health professionals to get a correct diagnosis for my schizophrenia (something i will touch on next.)
there’s something to be said about being an advocate for mental illness, and we need more of them. we need advocates for those who can speak informatively and thoughtfully about their mental illnesses, the good and the bad. to have someone to empathize with is so important, a kinsman of the mind who can share similar experiences. i have “schizophrenic” in my carrd because i would like others to learn from me, and even when i’m not talking about mental health, now others can recognize that they know someone with schizophrenia, someone who is a friend who they can relate to. conversely, if someone doesn’t want to be an advocate for their illness, they absolutely do not have to. it’s 100% a personal choice and it always comes with the risk of being exposed to ableist comments and predispositions. for me, i’m in a healthy place where those comments don’t bother me, so please do not feel pressured to put yourself in harm’s way.
all this begs the question: what does one accomplish by faking a mental illness? is it worth the negative attention, as well as the often misguided sympathy? how is one helping a cause by spreading misinfo and misrepresenting something so serious? why has tiktok become the go-to for trusted information when literally anyone can say anything? please, do actual research into mental illness, whether you’re someone looking for a diagnosis or someone looking to learn more about it. misdiagnosis not only harms you, it harms people who actually have the illness. be critical of the information you’re partaking of, and for the love of god, be compassionate to those who suffer from mental illness.
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