Mental health has made great progress in the past decades, making its way from once being a taboo, forbidden topic of discussion to now having open dialogues and representation throughout the media. Although this change is predominantly positive, the process of destigmatizing mental health has created dangerous results in which people suffering with mental illnesses have gone from being shamed and ostracized to suddenly glamorized- their symptoms becoming desirable and fawned over.
“If [the depiction of mental illnesses in media] is made to look glamorous, or if there’s not an accurate portrayal of the reality, that can be extremely damaging [to viewers],” school psychologist Carol Ann Forrest said.
Oftentimes, media handpicks what it wants its viewers to see, however, this can generate dangerous narratives in which viewers don’t fully understand significant topics, even though they believe they do. By carefully curating a selection of slightly prettier, more digestible moments of mental illnesses, the media only creates an inaccurate portrayal of the real struggles people with mental health issues suffer, glamorizing what few know should never be glamorized.
What is typically presented to us online ignores the unwanted effects of fighting these illnesses, dispensing the beautified version into our minds instead. Pretty scars not showers stinging and accidentally causing more damage than you intended, smudged mascara under beautifully glazed eyes, not self isolation and personal hygiene requiring even more motivation than you possess, rosy cheeks, not your lungs betraying you and your mouth switching back and forth from dry to so full of saliva you feel sick, slim figures on top of scales, not your body losing its ability to warm itself and your hair falling out in clumps.
This newfound idealization of mental illnesses is extremely harmful to individuals who genuinely struggle with its symptoms everyday. It downplays their experiences and trauma, watering down their struggles and diagnoses until they’re meaningless. Oftentimes, this leads to a sense of invalidation and desensitization. It creates an almost competitive atmosphere in which they may feel that their pain is insignificant or invalid compared to what they’ve seen online- not disastrous enough to reach out for assistance, unable to recognize that any amount of hurt is worthy of needing support. Likewise, it could make those around them numb to their indirect cries for help when numb is the very last thing they should be. It may cause them to view the harmful behaviors as inconsequential or unneeding of intervention, blinded by the media’s glamorization and unable to see the full repercussions and the grave path the behaviors could lead down to. This lack of reaction from peers could further reaffirm people who are suffering to believe that their issues are trivial and unimportant.
“A short term consequence [of romanticizing mental illnesses] is that one could experiment and try some really negative behavior because they don’t think it’s going to be a big deal, or they don’t think it’s going to really impact them or put them at risk,” Forrest said.
Mental health struggles are not trends or phases- they are persistent, painful ordeals that people suffer the consequences of constantly. They are not the essential missing parts of one’s personality and are not romantic whatsoever. Romanticizing them feels like a mocking, glossing over the very thing that has impacted some so much that they won’t ever be able to forget their struggle even when they are recovered.
“Long term consequences [of sensationalizing mental health issues] include an inaccurate understanding of the reality of when someone is suffering with [for example] an eating disorder,” Forrest said. “There’s not a simple solution and there are very significant physical impacts to that as well as other mental health disorders.”
Moreover, one may interpret certain harmful behaviors they see portrayed pleasantly online as acceptable coping mechanisms, not foreseeing that some self-sabotaging habits can become so addictive to the point one is unable to see their damage and do not believe they warrant a need for change.
This is why it is extremely important when deciding to display such a heavy topic to exhibit it properly, to show it fully, to show the ugly and the bad, to show different people of various races and sexes dealing with it otherwise, one runs the risk of privileging one narrative, story, experience over another and shedding detrimental positive attention on illnesses that hold no positive qualities.
On the other hand, the increased depictions of mental illness in media and openness regarding mental health has had positive impacts, providing platforms and a place for people to realize that they are not alone in their struggles and are able to both share and relate without criticism.
“A few years ago when 13 Reasons Why came out, there was an influx of students that were coming in and talking to us,” school counselor Lisa Handy said. “It helps people to realize that they’re not the only person out there struggling. Sometimes those movies actually give students ideas as to how to get help..my hope is just that it’s helpful more than harmful.”
It is obvious to see how communities revolving around specific mental illnesses provide comfort and aid in diminishing the loneliness one struggling may feel. However, glorifying and relishing in something that has the ability to cause so much damage, torment, and pain is ultimately a step back for the cause of mental health awareness.
This is why it is vital that as a society, we continue to spread awareness on mental health issues appropriately and responsibly. We must find a ground in which we are able to recognize the gravity of mental health and the legitimacy of those who battle it daily while not ignorantly romanticizing and stripping it of its validity in the process.
