Social Media & Mental Illness

Social media is used for many things these days. And there are plenty of positives to having access to other people you usually wouldn't have. But , there are also many negative aspects and one is how it can affect someone with a mental illness like depression. Obviously, it depends on what sort of depression it stems from. If for instance, it stems from self-esteem issues or how one views their physical self, it can do much more harm then good. For instance, an app like Instagram for a "normal" person can be a source of inspiration , motivation, and encouragement seeing all the attractive, physically fit bodies parading their feed.

But, a depressed person will see all that they are lacking displayed. Is it a form of insecurity? Yes, but its not something that they have a lot of control over feeling.A continuous reminder of what they aren't or may never have can not be healthy for the mind. It would be in the best interest of the party to lessen or outright discontinue regular use of social media.

The problem lies on where would that person get their regular endorphin fix? How could they ween themselves off this potent narcotic?Every time you open up your social media account and click that "like" button or see someone has "liked" your post, that hit of endorphin goes right to that pleasure center and you feel good for a few seconds. its like doing cocaine every few minutes and is just as addictive. so for a person who suffers from an illness like depression, even though they know the constant social media attention is detrimental to them, they are hard pressed to stop.