3 ms·
Having depression and/or anxiety have defined diagnostic criteria other than "looking at social media makes me feel bad" or "looking at social media makes me fe
by sneak 3y ago
Having depression and/or anxiety have defined diagnostic criteria other than "looking at social media makes me feel bad" or "looking at social media makes me feel anxious".
You could use social media a lot, and be extremely unhappy whenever you use it, and still not be clinically depressed or have an anxiety disorder.
An analogy: every time you ride a roller coaster, you are made anxious, and so is everyone else. This doesn't mean that rolle coasters "cause anxiety" - they just cause you to feel anxious while using it. There's a difference.
A lot of people who don't have direct experience with depression or anxiety disorders don't really understand what they are, and assume that they are just a stronger version of being chronically sad or chronically scared. It's not so.
- EGreg 3y agoWhat are they? And given that 1 of 3 girls considers attempting suicide, perhaps we need to have a conversation about whether this diagnosis fits them, and whether it is a helpful distinction, because that is a real huge measurable statistic “Well you considered attempting suicide, but you aren’t clinically depressed, so…”
- sneak 3y agoSuicidal ideation or attempts are sometimes, but not always, a symptom of certain types of depression. They're also symptoms of other things. It's not only depressed people who kill themselves.
- EGreg 3y agoSo maybe then we should talk about and consider the wider phenomenon that is linked to suicidal ideation, and not just clinical depression