Psyche logo

Living with Real Emotions in a Virtual World

Status: Suffering

By Indigo DeAllahPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
Like

Mental health typically lives as a topic of quiet discussion. It also leaves its victims feeling alone and like no one understands. Help is usually not far away, but people have reason to be scared. To keep up appearances they often downplay or hide their own emotions and keep their pain to themselves. Other people, are not afraid to tell everyone what they are going through, whether it is genuine or not.

However, where is the line drawn when it comes to blaming day-to-day struggles on depression, anxiety, or some combination thereof, versus actual symptoms of these issues? With the heavy presence of social media in everyday life today, people are taking to their status to point the finger at depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses as the cause for virtually most of their daily stress. This can be somewhat hurtful to those who are deep into their pain and are offended by the abuse of their illness by those who simply want pity or attention. Social media is dangerous in the sense that users only see what people want them to see, and in most cases that excludes reality, and therefore, emotional hardship. We don’t post how crappy we’re doing on Facebook, or tell Twitter how much we are truly struggling because that opens us up for further judgment from strangers and even loved ones. Similarly, these people too often paint themselves as poster children for certain disorders/illnesses, and bring up such topics exclusively to be a part of that conversation within social media.

As someone who has lived through situations that have left me in the grasp of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety, there is a piece of me that gets quite frustrated when others use those symptoms as an excuse for everything, and talk about it in a way that almost seems like bragging. People are out there really suffering, afraid to talk about what is really going on with them because others are warping the symptoms and effects into something entirely different, which leaves them left out. Talking openly about your mental health doesn’t make you a bad person, nor does choosing not to share that information on social media. On the other hand, in the few instances where people do choose to openly discuss their experiences with mental health in a way that is not sincere or truthful, that can make it harder for those truly suffering to come forward.

The acknowledgement of these kinds of behaviors serves as a reminder to all of us to pay attention to those who may not be reaching out for help. While social media will always be used for selfish and attention-seeking reasons, there are people who seriously suffer, but in silence. Symptoms of things like anxiety aren’t always apparent visually so it’s important to take care of each other, to listen, and to be kind. Everyone experiences each day differently, some worse than others, but being respectful of other people's experiences as human beings is only going to benefit everyone, along with their mental health.

Help If You Need It

Emergency Medical Services—911

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or Live Online Chat

social media
Like

About the Creator

Indigo DeAllah

I want to share my words with the world. I offer my deepest thoughts of inspiration & expression. I pray my writing takes you to a place of passion. I hope my struggles become your realizations & that deeper connections will result.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.