Mental illness turning into a fad?

Anonymous 1

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I’m in a group on Facebook that shares tik tok videos. I originally joined because there was an increase in groomer behavior on tik tok and the group was spreading awareness but it turned into spreading other videos that are concerning and there has been a huge increase of videos showing teens and preteens having DID or panic attacks. There’s a new fad of “showing” what dissociative identity disorder and panic attacks and depression look like. If you spend enough time on there you would think every other teen is suffering from DID that hashtag and the amount of videos seem to pop up everywhere. Its like a bunch of kids watched Split and wanted to try it. There’s an argument going on in the group that these videos are dangerous because they glorify mental disorders instead of raising awareness for people who are truly suffering. I think the DID ones are just kids trying to be unique and claim they have “alters.” There’s even a video from a girl who claims to have it telling everyone to stop saying they have it for clout. I can see why people would be upset by the depression and panic attack ones especially the ones where it seems obviously staged and the videos that have teens showing off the scratches on their wrists and saying they cutting makes them feel better. It’s an odd thing to do for some clout aka online attention.

What do you all think about this?
Are your teens on tik tok?
Anonymous 2

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Well sure it is, these teens are just following what adults have been doing for quite a while now. Adults seem to need the online attention & tell everyone what their mental problem is.

How many mom confessions members have said how they have depression, or they are introverted or extroverted. Lol
Anonymous 3

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How many years have people around the globe been medicated for mental issues? This isn't a new thing.

I suffer from panic attacks and generalised anxiety, I choose not to be medicated for it, and it's not something I talk openly about unless I feel it can help someone else, but for some people, talking about it can be therapeutic.

The DID videos being legitimate seems a little far fetched if there are really that many of them, but the ones showing panic attacks, or just focusing on depression? I'd be willing to believe those are real. And cutting isn't a new thing. I've known a few cutters around my age when I was a teen/young adult (I'm nearly 40) and knew MANY more through online interactions back then. It's not something I understand, but it's not new.
Anonymous 3

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I'm not sure being introverted or extroverted qualifies as a mental problem.
Anonymous 2 wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:07 am Well sure it is, these teens are just following what adults have been doing for quite a while now. Adults seem to need the online attention & tell everyone what their mental problem is.

How many mom confessions members have said how they have depression, or they are introverted or extroverted. Lol
Deleted User 670

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I find it really hard to believe that someone experiencing a panic attack can actually log on to a social site to film it. I've seen my daughter have a full blown panic attack, it's like she's frozen and cannot move. And I'm not well versed in DID but I thought that was really rare.
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I am not well versed in any medical conditions like those. There are people that have legitimate mental health issues and if these teens are poking fun, mocking, etc.. it is wrong IMO.
None of us have tik tok so I have never seen any of those videos.
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Folks it's TikTok. I have heard mental illness and suicide is on the rise in children. However it could be some of these kids are looking for attention. Some might be genuinely affected especially now. Idk when ds will see his counselor irl and he dislikes video visits. He's fine but I bet many kids aren't so good. Idk I don't use TikTok.
Anonymous 3

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How old is your daughter? I've been having panic attacks since I was a child, they can certainly be paralyzing but they aren't always like that. Even just in my own experience, and I'm sure they vary more from person to person.

As a teen I would often sit down at the computer, dial up an internet connection, and log on to good old AOL/AIM/Yahoo messenger to chat up someone who could talk me through a panic attack. So even though I wouldn't want to video myself having a panic attack, it's easy for me to imagine someone opening an app and taking a video of theirs. It's also just as easy for me to imagine someone faking a panic attack, unfortunately.

Hopefully your daughter can learn to work through her panic attacks and they won't be so paralyzing for her. I'm not sure if it's possible for everyone to do so, but I hope it is.
pinkbutterfly66 wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 6:53 am I find it really hard to believe that someone experiencing a panic attack can actually log on to a social site to film it. I've seen my daughter have a full blown panic attack, it's like she's frozen and cannot move. And I'm not well versed in DID but I thought that was really rare.
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Has anyone read Malcom Gladwell’s book, “the tipping point”?

He summarizes data that in Micronesia that young male teens did create a trend of suicide It became an acceptable behavior for small problems and the rates skyrocketed far above other countries rates with similar population. And that was just regular media and word of mouth.

According to his research, that there is a tipping point in incidence, and Societal epidemics can happen with depression and other behavior, such as school shootings.

I actually believe that many young teens & adults do have mental health issues. It is learned behavior, that has turned into a true medical problem. Despite criticism of being weak, I think this generation faces more stress than any previous generation and due to well-meaning intentions to keep them safe, some parents have actually completely robbed them many effective coping mechanisms.

It is not surprising that many of them document it on Tik Tok, and sure, some may be fake, but that is really impossible to know.

My ODS is on TikTok a bit, but is not watching that type of recording, mostly funny posts. My younger two are not allowed any social media.
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This is a complicated topic.

On the topic of teen suicide, it is usually a desperate cry for help, but sometimes it is for attention, which is just a form of a cry for help. For adult suicide, it is also a desperate cry for help.

As for mental illness being a fad, I am just very happy that it is now socially acceptable to ask for help. I don't think it is a fad, but there are more cases because people are more comfortable self identifying that they need help.


Here is another view: Faking mental illness for benefits. I think THAT has become a fad. I see it all to often.
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