I think TikTok just told me I have ADHD. Do I?

HOW TO NAVIGATE SELF-DIAGNOSIS AND MENTAL HEALTH MISINFORMATION ONLINE

By Jackie Menjivar

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TikTok is a special place. Somewhere between videos of Emily Mariko making her famous tuna roll bowl and yet another berries and cream remix, you might find yourself scrolling into the world of #MentalHealthTikTok. There you find therapists, advocates, and folks with lived experience talking about all things mental health — from quick tips and affirmations to breaking down the complexities of mental illness and healing. 

But what happens when the content starts to hit a little too close to home, and the clock app gets you questioning whether you’ve got a clinical mental health condition to sort out? 

TikTok says I have ADHD

According to this TikTok, signs that you might have ADHD include impulsive spending, running late, misplacing things, and ignoring texts. And it turns out, there are a lot of people who can relate. You can find them in the comments saying things like, “I do all of them daily...could I actually have ADHD?” and “I have all six. Does this mean I have ADHD?” And there are more like this video across #ADHDTikTok, linking ADHD to pretty common behaviors like clumsiness or talking too much.

The phenomenon isn’t exclusive to ADHD either. There are also videos suggesting that being obsessed with your partner is a characteristic of BPD. Or people-pleasing is a manifestation of unhealed childhood trauma, where one person commented, “All things everywhere point to childhood trauma...but what trauma!? I don’t remember anything being traumatizing. Help!” 

It shows just how confusing it feels to be bombarded with content telling you that your behavior is abnormal or a sign of a deeper issue. As to whether they’re right or wrong...the answer is complicated. 

When social media gets mental health wrong

TikTok isn’t the only culprit here. There’s a similar trend in self-diagnosis content on Instagram, where ADHD and childhood trauma are also popular topics. Over on Twitter, the same information lives in threads and carrds. 

In the past year and a half, the pandemic forced a lot of us to take refuge in online spaces for community, comfort, and guidance. At a time when the number of people looking for help with their mental health skyrocketed, social media let people access mental health resources anonymously, for free, and from anywhere with an internet connection.

But those same things are what make the information you’re getting on social media such a mixed bag. When you read a post about mental health, you usually don’t know a lot about who’s giving you this information or what their expertise is. Sometimes you don’t even get a name, just a faceless account with no affiliation. 

You have to wonder: what makes this person qualified to teach me about this? Beyond that, how well can anyone explain the complexities of mental illness through a post? Most mental health conditions can’t be summed up in 280 characters or a 60-second video.

By now, you’ve probably heard a lot about misinformation online. But maybe when you think of misinformation, you think about it mostly in the context of the 2020 election or the coronavirus pandemic. The fact is, people spread inaccurate and misleading information about all kinds of things (intentionally and unintentionally), including mental health. 

We all want answers for the things that trouble us, and you may find comfort in being able to label and categorize those tricky feelings or behaviors — especially if you’re still in the process of figuring yourself out and finding a community.  When you come across something that you really identify with, it can be easy to latch onto it without thinking too closely about credibility. It can also encourage people to self-diagnose mental health conditions based on the things they read online.

The deal with self-diagnosis

A diagnosis can be a really helpful step in understanding and treating a mental health condition. It can also make it easier to access accommodations at school/work or insurance coverage for mental health care. Of course, this is an imperfect system susceptible to cultural, social, and racial biases, and for a lot of folks, professional care isn’t financially accessible. 

So it makes sense that a lot of people turn to the internet for answers when they have a mental health issue (or, in some cases, the “answers'' find them). While it might be comforting to feel like you’ve identified this part of yourself, there are a few issues with using social media to self-diagnose.

A lot of hyper-relatable mental health content oversimplifies the symptoms of a mental health condition. Part of what goes into diagnosis is the frequency and severity of those symptoms, in what contexts they occur, and how intrusive they are to your daily functioning. There’s a difference between spacing out in a boring class and being so unable to focus that you can’t pass any classes. Content like this encourages us to pathologize completely normal experiences.

Plus, we all struggle with seeing ourselves objectively, and an outside POV can help give you a fuller picture of what’s going on. When you self-diagnose, You’re also (probably) not a mental health professional with years of experience analyzing the nuances of these conditions. It’s the same reason why you can’t replace a doctor’s visit with a few hours scrolling through WebMD. 

Some content creators may be trying to use broad, relatable claims for easy engagement (because all those comments saying “this is totally me!” help boost their reach). Some of them may be regular people living with a mental health condition who want to share their experiences. Some may even just be repeating information that they saw somewhere else. In fact, a lot of them put disclaimers in their captions or comment sections warning people not to take their content as medical advice. 

Your mental health diagnosis shouldn’t start and end on social media. Instead, think of it as a helpful starting point. You can find lots of people online talking about how these posts led them to seek professional help and eventually get diagnosed and receive treatment. 

@jazzthornton_

Gotta love tiktok. #adhd #adhdtiktok / @lindsay.fleminglpc was the creator who I saw & then got tested!

♬ The Magic Bomb (Questions I Get Asked) [Extended Mix] - Hoàng Read

What to do when you identify with mental health content online

DON’T OVERLOOK YOUR SYMPTOMS

First of all, know that any potential symptoms of a mental health condition are worth paying attention to. Avoid jumping to conclusions, but do take some time to reflect on what you’re experiencing, and listen to your body if something doesn’t quite feel right. Early intervention, in the stages where symptoms are mild, is key to treating mental health conditions!

MAKE SURE YOUR SOURCE IS CREDIBLE

The next time you find yourself relating to a TikTok about a certain mental health condition, stop to check the source. Who is this person? What qualifies them to speak on this topic? Where are they sourcing their information? What motivations do they have to share this? 

LOOK FOR HELP BEYOND THE PLATFORM

Then, do your own research outside of social media. Learn more about that specific mental health condition and its criteria for diagnosis, and if it still feels like something you identify with, consider taking an online mental health screen. Your results aren’t a diagnosis, but they’re a great place to start and a baseline to figure out your next steps. Share them with your doctor or a loved one so they can help you get any support you may need.

AVOID JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

Remember that it’s also okay to identify with something without attributing it to a medical condition. Sometimes we do things just because we’re human. 

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At the end of the day, self-exploration is an important part of mental health, whether it’s sparked by a TikTok or a tweet or an academic article. If you have any concerns, take them seriously, and don’t be afraid to seek help and advocate for yourself.

ADHDKristina Benoist