Terms such as “red flags”, “toxic behavior” or “anxiety triggers”, and even clinical terminology such as “narcissism”, “trauma” or “ADHD”, have become common vocabulary on social networks, making their way on social networks. daily conversations.
For Halley Pontes, a psychologist at Birkbeck, University of London, this may be an opportunity because it means more people are becoming aware of mental health. “This can lead to a greater understanding and empathy for those who suffer from these problems,” she explains to DW.
The popularity of mental health discussions on social media is also “a sign that people prefer to be more open and direct when it comes to talking about these issues, rather than hiding them as an embarrassing issue,” according to Angelina Hahn, licensed psychologist residing in Hamburg.
Health professionals have also adopted social media as a platform for sharing content on psychological issues, which now reaches millions of users. However, as the line between the influencers and mental health professionals, challenges and potentially harmful consequences arise.
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Pontes points out that acquiring general knowledge about psychological concepts can increase a person’s self-awareness and help them recognize patterns in their behavior, thoughts and emotions, although he adds that it also has its limitations and can sometimes be misleading.
Sina, a 30-year-old sales agent who wishes to remain anonymous, has long struggled with what she believed to be “ADHD or a similar concentration disorder.” “It’s not that it totally occurred to me on social media, I’ve also read articles from credible sources on the subject,” she explains to DW.
However, after being exposed to a constant stream of content around ADHD and attention-related disorders, she finally decided to seek professional help, and to her surprise, psychiatrists told her that her concentration problems were not related to any attention disorder. attention.
According to Hahn, learning about mental health problems can serve as an initial step to addressing them, to knowing what to do to have good mental health, but it is not enough. “As human beings, we tend to think better or worse of ourselves,” she says.
“So if we try to learn about our problems on our own, we can develop a distorted understanding of our problems.”
On the other hand, seeing others talk openly about their mental health might convince some people that their problem is “common behavior,” so they “might accept the terms as labels that describe them, which might make some people they will stop looking for professional help”, explains to DW Heinrich Dürscheid, member of the Professional Association of German Psychologists (BDP).
How to distinguish between good and bad content
Before deciding to follow an account that shares mental health content, it is crucial to check the credibility of the sources. “Look up the names of content creators and make sure you’re following trained professionals with valid credentials,” Hahn recommends.
According to Pontes, credible mental health content is honest about the complexity of mental disorders and symptoms, their origins, and even the science behind them. “Be wary of claims that generalize complex mental health issues into overly simplistic terms or suggest that one solution works for everyone,” he says.
It also warns against posts that use sensational language or make exaggerated claims. “This usually indicates that gaining visits or followers is given priority over offering truthful information,” he says.
“Be skeptical of claims that promise instant results or easy fixes or those that dismiss conventional treatments altogether,” he concludes.
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