Tik-Tok and Mental Health
Tik Tok videos have been part of my coping strategy during the pandemic. They have offered some escapism during the stressful last year and a half and I’m not ashamed to admit I needed that while working and navigating life during COVID. I am probably a little outside their true demographics age wise at 48 , but I still enjoy some of the videos. And what a WIDE range of videos that seem to come up. At first I was just getting the cute dance videos and some DIY content, but later, I started to get a lot more content from sex workers, trauma survivors and people who were struggling in some type of way (It didn’t take the algorithm long to figure out I’m a trauma therapist, I guess). Also what myself and other therapists have noticed is that there is a great deal of mental health information being shared on Tik Tok. Whether it’s psychoeducational info shared from a therapist or coping skills from a trauma survivor, there’s a lot of content that has a mental health flavor to it on the platform.
I think it’s great that people are breaking down stigmas and sharing their stories. I love the connections being made and the genuine support I see being offered. What I don’t love is the tremendous amount of misinformation being thrown around out there. I’ve seen “coaches” (and I use that term loosely because there is zero regulation and training required to become a “coach”. People who are actually trained coaches can be amazing resources, not talking about those folks) offering up bogus advice and some even borderline harmful stuff. Lots and lots of videos like “Four signs you’re married to a narcissist” or “Three ways to cure your depression naturally”- not exactly stuff a licensed, trained mental health professional is going to throw at you. We are never going to encourage you to diagnose yourself or look for “quick fixes” or “life hacks” for your mental health.
If you see something on Tik Tok about mental health that sparks your interest or you connect with, definitely do more research. If you think a diagnosis like Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder or ADHD fits you based on what you’ve seen others share on social media, reach out to a mental health professional for more information. For more about finding a therapist, check out this post.
Here’s the part therapists want you to know: Don’t get overly invested in a specific diagnosis. ADHD and anxiety look a lot alike in many people. It may even be difficult to tell them apart at all in children and some adults. Depression and mood instability are often part of PTSD. Autism spectrum disorder can be misdiagnosed for years. You often (but not always) need good psychological testing to be sure of a diagnosis, and even then results can be affected by all kinds of factors. Mental health is not an exact science and many diagnoses overlap and shift over time. The diagnosis or “label” we are often forced to give a person due to insurance reimbursement is often a lot less important that what the treatment plan is. So if you go to a therapist with a diagnosis in mind and they don’t immediately cosign on it, give it some thought. Ask yourself why it’s important that they believe you fit into this label. I’m guessing the mental health professional has a lot more education and experience than can be boiled down to a 30 second social media video. Explore with them each of your perspectives and see if, not matter what the label is, can you come to a consensus on what it would look like to “get better”.
