The ever-increasing Romanticization of mental health issues 

By definition, romanticization is the action of depicting something in an overly optimistic or unrealistic way; it causes something to look significantly more appealing or engaging than it truly is. As people, we have a tendency to do this more often than not. We romanticize many things ranging from wine and diet culture to crime and tropes. However, as people, we need to recognize and avoid glamorizing specific topics, especially something as serious and complex as mental illness. 

Mental illness refers to various mental health conditions and disorders that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. Examples of mental illness include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and addictive behaviors. The romanticization of these disorders in media, especially social media, has become a significant problem.

Where it Started

So where did the first seed of the romanticization of mental health disorders/issues first sprout? You guessed it, social media. When people think of social media, they often think of Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Although in early 2014, a very distinct social media platform was at the peak of its popularity - Tumblr. Tumblr is a blogging platform where people share text, photos, videos, and other content. Unlike other social media sites, users don't just have to post original content. Tumblr users can instead reblog other users' content or share it with their followers. This is where and when viewing mental illness in an unrealistic, almost appealing way was popularized. 

Among Tumblrs most popular posts were items belonging to genres relating to mental health. Attaching the suffix “core” to almost anything relates to a certain kind of genre or aesthetic. Some popular examples on Tumblr are “Sadcore”, “Truamacore”, “Sadgirl”, and “Depression *Shi*”; these phrases often paint mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and others in a more relatable and morphed way that makes these disorders seem way less severe than they actually are. A quick search of tags on Tumblr brings up many black-and-white, aesthetically pleasing photos of razor blades and bottles of pills with self-deprecating, suicide-promoting captions. This is and can be dangerous in more ways than one.

The community

With certain mental health disorders like depression, Tumblr users may be left in limbo because unhealthy depictions of mental health disorders resemble a relaxed, almost soothing state. For some, there's a strange comfort to depression. So when one finally starts on the road to recovery, it can get tricky. Again, for some it's easier to be ill and unhealthy, to cling to that comfort of feeling sad than to be in a foreign land of emotions where it doesn't feel right. It comes to a point where you almost don't want to get better because it's so hard to break out of that state. Communities popularized by Tumblr heavily influence this statement. For many people who struggle with mental illness, constantly being surrounded by images that emphasize the beauty of their struggle can be detrimental or in some instances, deadly. They may no longer want to get better because they’re seeing their depression through this cool, artsy sort of lens. People who use Tumblr may make friends and entire groups for the sole reason of relating/commiserating to one another on social media platforms. Thus when a person finally starts to get to a point where they feel like they can grow and flourish, they may feel pressured to feel sad again because that’s what the group is “pushing”. If the one relatable thing that everyone in their group has in common is taken away, what do you do? Most will try to take it back. This can be the case for many others with mental disorders. In other words, these social media websites may be a source of affirmation rather than assistance. Once a mental illness and its symptoms, such as cutting or self-starvation, have been normalized through its constant presence on a platform, they become justifiable to those who practice them—furthering this toxic cycle.

The Portrayal of Mental Disparity in Media

Behavioral health disparity is a prevalent genre in many forms of media. A prevalent example of this genre in today's media is the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. The series is based on Jay Asher's young adult novel about a young teen named Hannah Baker. In the text, Hannah commits suicide because of excessive bullying. She leaves behind 13 recordings on cassette tapes, one for each person that caused her to kill herself. While this book and its Netflix series are impactful because they open up a dialogue about mental illness and suicide, both go about this conversation wrong. By continuing Hannah's story beyond her death, she goes from a passive victim to an active protagonist even after death, managing to control her situation. She blames others for her suicide and enacts revenge through these tapes, giving her considerable power. The message that she was initially powerless to stop her bullies, but gained control through suicide, is dangerous. By selectively capitalizing on a sense of satisfaction derived from the retribution that Hannah delivers on her bullies, 13 Reasons Why makes suicide and its aftermath seem all the more appealing, the very definition of romanticization; yet this is a widely popular series praised for how openly it speaks about bullying and suicide. This perfectly illustrates how the romanticization of mental illness in the media can fly under the radar.

Additionally, people usually don't realize how influencers, media, and businesses affect how mental health is viewed. When companies and influencers make mental health merchandise, from shirts that say "My Anxieties Have Anxieties" to sweaters that have the definition of depression on them, they undermine the severity of these disorders. When Netflix shows like 13 Reasons Why poorly represent the struggle and meaning of depression, and highlights the appeal of actions associated with mental health disorders like suicide and self-harm, it alters the connotations of these actions in the minds of its audience. These efforts by parties who have an extensive outreach heavily impact the meaning and rigor of mental disorders, which harmfully influences the community and patrons themselves. 

Mental Health in Daily Conversation

Mental health terms are often used as adjectives in everyday conversation. A friend may talk to you and express how a test or quiz made them experience so much anxiety or how your friend feels so depressed because their favorite tv show/anime character just died, but in reality, they are misusing these terms. Using these words as adjectives is a harmful practice; not only is it insensitive, but wildly inaccurate. The way these terms associated with mental illness have integrated into our daily conversations have caused us to put them in a light that causes us to overlook their symptoms. Everyone is prone to exaggerating or dramatizing a situation. However, it dilutes the solemnity of symptoms and mental illnesses that a person claims to experience. Because we nonchalantly mention the symptoms of mental disorders in daily conversation, it clouds our judgment and understanding when someone is experiencing those symptoms. Imagine if someone opens up to somebody else about struggling with anxiety, only to be told that it is “normal” and that everyone has anxiety. The phrase “suck it up and deal with it,” may come up or something along those lines. This leads to a sense of isolation caused by no one who genuinely understands their struggle with their disorder. Additionally, it could also cause this person to believe that because everyone else is seemingly struggling with the same mental illness, there is no need to seek help.

Final Words

There is only so much we can do in terms of stopping this damaging cycle. We cannot control what the media presents, nor can we control what people share or try to profit from regarding mental illnesses. To a certain degree, what we can control is our thoughts and actions. If you feel as though you are mentally unwell, I strongly advise that you speak with a mental health professional, like Ms. Gutierrez from the Wellness Center, who can provide you with the proper resources to manage, cope, or even thrive. No one should need to suffer in silence. To my fellow Panthers, I highly recommend that you try to be mindful of your emotions. Although there is no harm in sharing a relatable tweet or creating a comical meme about a mental illness that you may struggle with as a coping mechanism, you need to ask yourself why? Are you doing it to help spread awareness? Are you doing it to garner views? And even worse, could this negatively impact somebody else? At the end of the day, you are unaware of who is and is not impressionable and how one can take your thoughts as a way to influence obstructive actions upon themself.