Ever scrolled on Instagram, convinced your need to “take space” in a busy moment is a symptom of an anxiety disorder? Or that your inability to focus for an upcoming test confirms your inkling you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Posts boasting titles like “Five Signs You Might Have ADHD” are saved and shared by thousands; videos attributing your perfectionism to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) get a staggering number of views.
Welcome to the so-called age of medicalization—a phenomenon in which ordinary personal issues or life stages are framed as medical issues. Take aging, for example, where drugs like Botox become the focus of advertisements against wrinkles, or nutrition, with websites outlining perfectly curated meal plans that promise optimal health and fitness.
As medicalization has inevitably permeated social media, a realm of possibilities has been unleashed, especially with increasing discussions surrounding mental health. Amidst TikTok therapists and Instagram infographics, social media has expanded its role from a digital space for connection and entertainment to a rulebook for self-diagnosis. From depression to anxiety disorders, social media increasingly decodes our everyday behaviors as symptoms of a medical condition, and it seems every feeling might require a prescription.
Of course, discussions surrounding mental health are important, and normalizing this discourse is certainly beneficial. Yet the line between raising awareness about mental health and the overmedicalization of our everyday lives can be a thin one—and on the internet, more often than not, it is quick to become blurred. This is problematic, not only for the misdiagnoses that can arise as a result, but for the obsessive cycle of self-diagnosis we may be propelled into.
A major issue with the content circulating on social media isn’t so much the topic of mental health itself, but the way in which it is presented. Evidently, a 30-second TikTok on “bipolar disorder” cannot summarize its classification in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; nor can a post on how to overcome your alleged “symptoms” of OCD be compared with professional advice. Feeling unfocused during finals week doesn’t mean you have ADHD, and struggling with change is not necessarily an indication of autism. With the barrage of content online, we not only run the risk of a false diagnosis, but we may overlook much simpler explanations. Someone who attributes their burnout to ADHD may miss the fact that, in reality, they are simply overworked, and need to catch up on sleep. Yet when presented by influencers as “definitive” signs of a medical condition, we start to believe it—and the self-diagnosis cascade of panic and distress unleashes.
What is perhaps most concerning about this cycle is that it can become obsessive. The more entrenched we become in the deluge of advice touted as diagnosis, the more explanations we find for our everyday behaviors. It seems almost as if we are lured into wanting a diagnosis—not because we are seeking treatment, but because it can explain why we are the way we are. While it can be comforting to place medical labels on our quirks and everyday struggles, it is important to remember that mental health is not a trend, and diagnoses are not personality traits nor aesthetic identities.
That is not to say that our everyday stressors are invalid, and serious mental health conditions should by no means be minimized. Yet if we consistently relate to certain symptoms and feel they are affecting our daily life, it is best to turn to a professional who can provide us with guidance, diagnosis and treatment options—not the conglomeration of content on social media, which is often doused in clickbait and catchphrases. It is perfectly acceptable to resonate with a post online, but it is not a replacement for true, professional advice.
It is also important to remember that the daily ups and downs or compulsions and quirks we experience are simply part of the human experience. Feeling sad, anxious, distracted or restless doesn’t always indicate a disorder. Sometimes, it just means you’re human. Embrace it.