Diagnosing Your Own Mental Health Condition Can Be a Recipe for Disaster
<p>Welearn by trying new things. But sometimes it’s best not to go there. Don’t answer “Do these pants make me look fat?” Don’t press the nuclear launch button. And don’t use the internet to diagnose yourself with a mental health condition.</p>
<p>For years public health experts have encouraged individuals to bring mental health “out of the shadows” and discuss it openly. Younger generations in particular have taken this advice to heart. But one unintentional side effect has been a surge in teens<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/20/tech/tiktok-self-diagnosis-mental-health-wellness/index.html#:~:text=A%20growing%20number%20of%20teens,according%20to%20interviews%20with%20CNN." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank"> diagnosing themselves</a> from TikTok videos.</p>
<p>People of all ages turn to the internet to try to figure out what is going on with their minds and bodies. There’s lots of good information out there. Along with misinformation. And disinformation. A<a href="https://plushcare.com/blog/tiktok-mental-health/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank"> review</a> of 500 TikTok mental health videos found that only 54% contained accurate information. But 84% contained misinformation. (Many mixed in good with the bad.) Fully 14% contained potentially damaging information. TikTok’s not an outlier; inaccurate health information is abundant on <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/961463" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/facebook-health-misinformation" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and other popular internet sites.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/wise-well/diagnosing-your-own-mental-health-condition-can-be-a-recipe-for-disaster-f8c7a8fe13d">Click Here</a></p>