About a year into the pandemic, Kianna, a high school student in Baltimore, was feeling increasingly isolated. While sitting alone in her bedroom there was too much time to think, she said, so sometimes she would fixate on her seclusion or start critiquing her appearance. I remember just being on TikTok for hours during my day,” added Kianna, 17, who asked to be referred to by only her first name when speaking about her mental health. “That’s when my self-esteem started declining.”
At the time, in early 2021, her 10th grade classes were virtual, and she had begun texting with her friends instead of talking to them. Her anxiety bred headaches, poor sleep and the odd feeling of living outside of her body. Then, she started seeing videos on TikTok about depersonalization disorder, a type of dissociative condition that can make people feel disconnected, as though their body is detached from their thoughts, almost like being in a dream.
“I have this,” she recalled thinking to herself. But mental illness wasn’t the type of thing she would normally discuss with her friends or family. She didn’t tell anyone about her revelation. “I was so in my head that something was wrong with me.I remember just being on TikTok for hours during my day,” added Kianna, 17, who asked to be referred to by only her first name when speaking about her mental health. “That’s when my self-esteem started declining.”
At the time, in early 2021, her 10th grade classes were virtual, and she had begun texting with her friends instead of talking to them. Her anxiety bred headaches, poor sleep and the odd feeling of living outside of her body. Then, she started seeing videos on TikTok about depersonalization disorder, a type of dissociative condition that can make people feel disconnected, as though their body is detached from their thoughts, almost like being in a dream.
“I have this,” she recalled thinking to herself. But mental illness wasn’t the type of thing she would normally discuss with her friends or family. She didn’t tell anyone about her revelation. “I was so in my head that something was wrong with me. recent years, discussions about mental health have proliferated on social media, particularly on TikTok, where the format allows for easily digestible, intimate videos that appear in a never-ending algorithmic feed. And for those researching various disorders, it has become increasingly easy to find bite-sized definitions and self-assessment quizzes online. While this bounty of unfiltered resources can serve to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, there are downsides.
A number of mental health providers say that they are seeing an uptick in teenagers and young adults who are diagnosing themselves with mental illnesses — including rare disorders — after learning more about the conditions online. In some cases, this information can lead them toward getting the help they need, but it can also result in people incorrectly labeling themselves, avoiding a professional assessment and embracing ineffective or inappropriate treatments.
Annie Barsch, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Elburn, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, has fielded multiple inquiries from teenagers and adolescents who arrive at her office with a specific diagnosis in mind.
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