Mental Illness LOL

"I'm so depressed." "I just had a mental breakdown." "Just had my third anxiety attack of the day." These are all phrases I read (in some way, shape or form) on social media almost every day, and they are most often said by teenagers or young people. There's often an "lol" or "ksjdksksjk" added to the end of these expressions, as if it's a casual thing that they're used to happening to them. These phrases are also often played off as jokes or funny little anecdotes. I admit that I have said these things in person or on social media in a casual way to make them seem less dark than they really are. But I've realized that this is actually a harmful way to handle teenage mental health.

From the articles we read in class, I learned how quickly and dramatically teenage anxiety levels are rising. It was alarming to hear that more teenagers deal with mental health problems now than ever before. And as these problems are becoming more common, they are also becoming more normalized. Mental illness itself is a normal thing that many people go through, but it shouldn't be treated as something so ordinary that it can be a joke. Depression and anxiety have become so common, that I almost feel like I expect it among my peers. Mental health is still a huge deal in society and people are still always encouraged to seek professional help. But I feel less teens are doing the latter because being depressed or having anxiety is more common among their peers. Therefore, they don't like it's a big deal or feel bad drawing attention to it since it's so common.

But the fact is, mental illness is a big deal and always will be. It can be joked about or satirized on social media over and over, but it will always hold the same amount of importance. Venting on social media is fine, and for some it's even a coping mechanism. But I wouldn't belittle mental illness for the sake of humor. Because that's when it starts to get dangerous.