Headline, September 19 2023/ ''' '' SOCIAL MEDIA SORES '' '''

''' '' SOCIAL MEDIA

 SORES '' '''

PITFALLS OF THERAPY ON SOCIAL MEDIA : NO MATTER WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM you use, it's very likely that you regularly come across mental health content and self-help tips in your feed.

Even if you're not an active user of any platform, you may find yourself encountering psychological terms in everyday conversations with friends.

Terms such as 'gaslighting,' 'red flags,' '' toxic behaviour, '' or 'anxiety triggers,' and even clinical terminology like ' narcissism,' 'trauma' or 'ADHD,' have become hashtags on social media platforms, making their way into daily conversations.

IT OFTEN seems that mental health is one of the most prevalent subjects on social media. For Hally Pontes, psychologist at Birkbeck, University of London, this maybe an opportunity because it means more people are becoming aware of mental health conditions.

'' This can lead to greater understanding and empathy for those who suffer from mental health issues,'' he told DW.

The popularity of mental health discussion on social media is also '' a sign that people prefer to be more open and direct when it comes to discussing mental health issues, rather than hiding it as an embarrassing problem, '' according to Angelina Hahn, a licensed psychologist based in Hamburg.

HEALTHCARE professionals have also embraced social media as a platform to share content on psychological issues, with their content now reaching millions of users. 

However, as the boundary between influencers and mental health professionals become blurrier, challenges and potential harmful consequences are emerging.

A 2021 study that analysed the top 100 TikTok videos on ADHD, or Attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder, found that more than half of them were misleading. The videos with the most user engagement rates were based on personal anecdotes and contained no call to incentivize the viewers to seek professional help.

Only 21% of the selected videos were helpful and informative, most of which were shared by mental health professionals and organizations.

Getting treatment vs. Learning about it :

Pontes pointed out that gaining general knowledge about psychological concepts can increase a person's self-awareness and help them recognize patterns in their behaviour, thoughts and emotions, though he added that it also has its limitations and can be misleading at times.

FOR a long time, Sina, a 30-year-old sales agent who wishes to remain anonymous, grappled with what she believed to be ''ADHD or similar concentration disorder.''

'' It's not like I got the idea entirely from social media, I also read articles from credible sources about the subject,'' she told DW.

However, after being exposed to a constant stream of content surrounding ADHD and attention-related disorders, she began to spot many similarities between what she was experiencing and what was being described as ADHD symptoms.

She eventually decided to seek professional assistance, and perhaps even consider medication.

But to her surprise, psychiatrists told her that her focus on issues weren't related to any attention disorder. '' It turned out that my struggle with focus had other reasons, which I later discovered and addressed through therapy sessions,'' Sina said.

According to Hahn, gaining knowledge about mental health issues can serve as an initial step in addressing them, but it falls short.'' As human beings, we tend to think either better or worse of ourselves,'' she said.

'' So, if we try to learn about our problems on our own, we may develop a distorted understanding of our issues.''

In addition, while learning about psychology provides a generalized knowledge,'' only a mental health professional that can offer tailored advice, therapeutic interventions, and strategies based on an individual's unique circumstances,'' Pontes said.

TO SUM - even though social media can enhance our mental awareness, there may be serious adverse side effects.

To make their content easier to consume, some content creators might end up spreading oversimplified explanations of mental health disorders.

The Honour and Serving of this publishing continues. The World Students Society thanks author DW.

With most respectful dedication to the Global Founders Framers of !WOW! and then Social Media Users, Students, Professors and Teachers of the world. 

See You all prepare for Great Global Elections on The World Students Society : wssciw.blogspot.com and Twitter X-!E-WOW! - The Ecosystem 2011 :

Good Night and God Bless

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