Struggling is an unavoidable and necessary part of human life, so why do we fail to properly communicate when it comes to mental health struggles? In previous generations, there has been an extreme stigma around mental health and until recently, speaking openly about these subjects has been quite taboo. While our generation is making huge strides in destigmatizing mental health awareness, it seems we as a society have gone from the avoidance of communication surrounding mental health issues to the romanticization of it. This strange inability to find a balance between the two is puzzling.
Part of this sensationalization of mental illness comes from the media that Gen Z consumes and produces. TV shows such as Euphoria or 13 Reasons Why portray characters with mental health struggles in an attempt to add more depth to the characters. While this representation is needed to destigmatize mental illness, very few of these characters’ story arcs revolve around getting help and recovering from their mental illness. This “tragically beautiful” portrayal can be interpreted as appealing or aesthetic to viewers, and many fanbases often idolize these characters as “relatable icons” and idolize them online. If these characters are going to be role models, there needs to be a focus on recovery and healing from mental illness, not glamorizing depression or addiction.
On social media platforms, the glorification of mental illness also seems to be prevalent. Hashtags such as #depressionmemes, #sadness, and #mentallyill caption posts alongside other hashtags like #relatable, #funny, and #depressionmemesarethebest. While some of these hashtags are attached to posts encouraging recovery and success stories, many of them caption images that romanticize depression and mental illness. What’s more, this social media coverage is misrepresenting what mental illnesses really are. Humorous posts on Instagram are captioned by hashtags such as #schizoposting, or #bpdmemes, referring to schizophrenia (a severe hallucinogenic mental illness) and borderline personality disorder (where a person experiences explosive and unstable emotions). These posts have nothing to do with schizophrenia or borderline personality disorder but are captioned with these hashtags just to reach more of an audience. Both the glamorization and misrepresentation of mental illnesses lead to the dangerous view that these illnesses are less serious than they really are.
Although this behavior seems to be most common online, it also appears in daily life. In casual conversation, people seem all too eager to jump at the chance of one-upping others, trauma dumping, and bonding over shared suffering. In addition to this, misdiagnosis is also common in everyday conversation. From what I’ve seen, this most commonly comes in the form of people joking that they have OCD because they like to be organized, or that they have PTSD because of a minor inconvenience. Even when it may seem trivial at the time, these types of statements can have a huge impact on how people view mental illnesses.
Gen-Z seems to be turning mental illness into an “aesthetic personality trait” or something desirable rather than what it truly is: a sickness that people struggle to recover from. While it is imperative to remove the stigma surrounding mental health struggles and getting help, the focus should remain on recovering. The romanticization of mental illness leads to finding comfort in it, de-incentivizing those who struggle with mental illness from finding assistance. Remember that mental illness is not a personality trait or something that makes a person more interesting. There are many other factors that define a person. A person should be defined by their interests, hobbies, and anything else they love and devote their time to. Instead of focusing on romanticizing mental illnesses, focus on taking care of your mental health and recovering. It is important that mental illnesses receive attention, recognition, and care. Mental illness is not who you are, and you should get help if you are struggling.
