Why We Should Stop Self-Diagnosing Ourselves Online
We’re only human, and we’re not medical professionals.
Krakenimages.com/ Shutterstock By Tylia Flores
The internet impacts many aspects of our lives, including our mental health.
In this day and age, you can easily self-diagnose yourself with a mental health issue based on online research. But this can lead to incorrect assumptions and incorrect treatment.
It’s important to seek help from a licensed professional to get an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
We should always consult a professional to diagnose and treat mental health issues accurately.
Self-diagnosis causes more harm than good. It can damage your self-esteem and make you view yourself in a negative light. You may convince yourself that you have a serious mental health condition when you are really experiencing stress or a minor issue.
Self-diagnosis is like trying to remove a splinter from your foot by digging with a hammer: it’s the wrong tool for the job, and it’s likely to make things much worse.
We’re only human, and we’re not medical professionals. Mental health specialists have more training in the field than we do.
They study mental illness and ways to treat it. This experience and education make them better equipped to treat mental health issues.
Self-diagnosing mental illness is like trying to fix a car engine without the right tools or knowledge. You may be able to fix it temporarily, but it won’t be a permanent fix. That’s why we call in the professionals for help.
Modern culture has normalized self-diagnosis. Thanks to advances in technology and medicine, we know that mental health issues are common and that it’s no one’s fault if they suffer from these ailments.
It’s difficult to focus on school, work, or any other aspect of your life when you’re dealing with undiagnosed mental health issues. And support groups, both online and in-person, have created a warm, welcoming community that makes it easier to fight through the darkness and have someone there for you.
Everyone wants, and needs, to feel supported; there’s nothing wrong with that. But that doesn’t mean an everyday person is skilled enough to make a diagnosis.
Most of us are rarely equipped with the right tools to make a proper diagnosis, much less offer proper treatment. We’re always out of our depth when we start to self-diagnose ourselves.
But it’s not our job to be experts in mental health. That is the job of a psychiatrist, someone who can prescribe and adjust medication for you to see what works best.
That’s the job of a therapist, someone who can try various forms of therapy with you and strategies to help you work through your struggles. That’s the job of someone who has studied mental health and understands how to best help you overcome the problem.
Mental illness is common. It can take a toll on your life, and it’s natural to research what’s going on.
But research can be misleading if you don’t have the knowledge to make an informed judgment about your health issues. That’s why mental health professionals study in their field, and it’s why you should seek experts for help.
They know what issues may be affecting you, and they know the best way to help you live your best life.
Tylia Flores is an author and a writer for Unwritten and Digital Fox. She writes primarily about lifestyle, relationships, and mental health topics.