Hey y'all. It's been a hot minute since I've made a discussion in this place. I wanted to talk about stuff after I was in the hospital for two weeks so let's go.

I just got out of the hospital a couple days ago where I was for two weeks for mental health reasons. I was showing manic behavior and I wasn't sleeping for four days prior to the hospital visit, and my mom got concerned and that's why she brought me there. We went to the emergency room first where I then stayed before being put in "E pod" that basically looked and felt like a prison. I was there for about five days waiting for a bed in the Adult Psychiatric Treatment Unit (APTU). In both places we were given breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but the first place I stayed for a period of time felt like me against them (the people working there).

Once I got to the APTU, it was a comfortable and safe environment to share your feelings and stuff you wanted to share in various group sessions throughout the day. There was verbal group at 10:30am and a coping skills group around 2pm. There was also a workshop time on Mon./Wed./Fri. to do coloring, sudoku, and word search puzzles (I did some coloring but I loved doing word search puzzles while I was there). Keep in mind that you're not allowed to have your phone so I didn't have my phone for a solid two weeks, basically. Because of that, I had a lot of free time to attend group sessions, eat three meals a day, and watch TV in the community room if I wanted to. Also, I ESPECIALLY had a lot of time to think. There was obviously times when I was bored, but I filled that time by either writing in a journal (recommend), coloring, doing word search puzzles, or dancing in my room. The time I had without my phone was so therapeutic to the point where when I got my phone back from my mom after leaving the hospital, it felt so weird to use and hold it for a solid 30 minutes.

The main reason I'm making this post is to talk about how I feel social media has impacted my mental health and how it impacts it in general, and I'm sure you all can relate to this in some way. I've had anxiety for a while, but it didn't get bad until I had two week-long anxiety attacks during my first semester of college around this time last year. The trigger for the first one was a presentation I had to do, and the trigger for the second one was an essay I had to write that I was struggling to start. Luckily, I was able to finish the classes as incompletes going into the start of the second semester to complete the courses (we don't talk about the corona semester though).

Especially after coronavirus, I'm sure all of us are on our phones a little too much. I know for myself there was a week in April where I was on TikTok for literally 105 hours that WEEK (yeah, it was that bad). Thankfully, I know my limits and after the hospital visit I've made a limit on my phone for using Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok (I recommend this for those who struggle to stay off their phones during the day, and especially at night before bed). However, I feel as though social media such as the three I just listed have negatively impacted my mental health, especially regarding my anxiety over the years. I believe this because of how much I feel the need to check social media notifications and see if I'm "missing out" on anything (aka F.O.M.O.). Constantly checking your phone for the time, for example, and always wanting to be on social media to see what others are doing have affected my anxiety for the worse and not the better. Sure, I took anxiety meds for a year and they helped after a while of taking them, but I think they might have been part of the reason for my sudden manic behavior a little over two weeks ago (leading to my two-week hospital visit).

I guess the whole message of this discussion post is; to know your limits when it comes to social media and your overall mental health. It's pretty evident in our generation with an increase of anxiety and depression cases, and it definitely has something to do with our smartphones. I'm sure we all have at least one mental health problem that we must deal with everyday if not more than one, whether it's anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or any other mental illness we face on a day-to-day basis. I want you all to know that on top of your physical health, your mental health is super important and you should make sure to take time to take care of yourselves at the end of the day. If you think you're too busy to do so, then plan time out for it at some point. Trust me, you'll regret waiting too long to take action.

- Bailey

Bailey,

Honestly, this is such an informative discussion, and I commend you for opening up. Your experience will definitely spread light to those who may very well be going through similar situations, perhaps without even knowing it. While reading this I couldn't help but completely understand that this information is vital and important to all of us, especially given the world we live in today.

Social media can be an amazing way to make time go by fast, gain some interesting insights, or simply vent out your frustrations. Regardless though, social media can also be quite damaging in a variety of ways. It can have multiple negative effects on our bodies, and especially our mental health. I agree with you completely that it is a good idea to know your limitations or to simply set your own limits to how much you use social media. I feel like this is a valuable discussion and I'm glad that you created it.

I'm so proud of you, and the person you are. I couldn't picture life without you in it, and I am so glad that I have been able to get to know you on a very personal level. You're incredibly smart, understanding, and always there when I need you. I am so glad to see you're on the right path again and to see that you're doing far better than before. Again, this discussion is amazing and you worded everything perfectly. I love you.

I completely understand everything you just said. Isolation has made me become so addicted to social media (as if I wasn't already) and honestly it's taken a toll on me, but it feels like my only way to communicate with people through COVID. While social media has so many benefits, the underlying effects it can have on your mental health are clearly evident. I definitely need to a better job of not only looking after my physical health, but also my mental health. Thank you for bringing light to this topic as I feel that it is not talked about enough. Often I feel like apps like Tik Tok make me look at all the super beautiful girls that live in LA and live "perfect" lifestyles, but the reality is, no one is perfect. Social media only shows the happy parts of someone's life, not their deepest, darkest moments, which is why we need to stop comparing ourselves to others, even though it's really difficult not to. I will try to make an effort to take care of my mental health more. Thank you once again for making this discussion.

Saber574 wrote on 24th October 2020, 02:57 PM:

I completely understand everything you just said. Isolation has made me become so addicted to social media (as if I wasn't already) and honestly it's taken a toll on me, but it feels like my only way to communicate with people through COVID. While social media has so many benefits, the underlying effects it can have on your mental health are clearly evident. I definitely need to a better job of not only looking after my physical health, but also my mental health. Thank you for bringing light to this topic as I feel that it is not talked about enough. Often I feel like apps like Tik Tok make me look at all the super beautiful girls that live in LA and live "perfect" lifestyles, but the reality is, no one is perfect. Social media only shows the happy parts of someone's life, not their deepest, darkest moments, which is why we need to stop comparing ourselves to others, even though it's really difficult not to. I will try to make an effort to take care of my mental health more. Thank you once again for making this discussion.

Well said, Saber. Thanks for taking the time to read it.

You probably knew all of this before going to the hospital, but it makes me feel better that you could experience that downtime and inform other people about this information, even may it not physically impact them, since most people already know this but are unaware or unwilling to change. Either way, balance is important, in your life and thoughts. Talking things out is almost always the best solution to a problem like this, since the first step to anything of the sort is admitting it. People have been talking a lot more about mental health recently, probably because we all worry too much. There's too much information out in the world and us looking after everything instead of just our own circle may be the cause of such distress. I would rather not know what's happening elsewhere than go insane over worrying about it. I still choose to read the news, but with such availability of it, its hard not to because I want to hear about it. Get your real news from real sources, but don't try getting real news from social media, because most likely they don't know what they're talking about unless its full-context full researched articles.

To destress from work or from worrying about things, my favorite thing since coming to college is reading, or taking walks, or doing puzzle type activities. Sometimes my downtime can be thinking, but also thinking can be dangerous if you go down the wrong paths of thought, so I might just hum on my walk or focus hard on reading. Having a little pastime that you enjoy and destress with can help overwhelmingly with your mental health, and I suggest everyone has a plan if they start having a state of panic or distress, like calming down, doing exercises, listening to music, going on walks, whatever works for you.

Not only is social media bad for mental health, it continues to go down the spiral of less-user-focused-platforms (especially youtube), overuse, echo chambers, censoring, and misleading photos/videos/lifestyles. Some people undershare on social media, which makes their lives seem better than they are. Some people overshare, which makes them seem worse off or desperate for attention, which neither is healthy. I honestly don't think anybody that's trying to limit themselves should have a twitter account, or an instagram account, and probably not facebook either. If anything, use snapchat to get in touch with friends, but only use that part of the app.

I hope social media gets better in the future, but really it hasn't changed much and I doubt it will get better. I don't own any social media, nor do I really plan to (sorry bailey), and I think that's for the better.

penguindsc wrote on 24th October 2020, 03:26 PM:

You probably knew all of this before going to the hospital, but it makes me feel better that you could experience that downtime and inform other people about this information, even may it not physically impact them, since most people already know this but are unaware or unwilling to change. Either way, balance is important, in your life and thoughts. Talking things out is almost always the best solution to a problem like this, since the first step to anything of the sort is admitting it. People have been talking a lot more about mental health recently, probably because we all worry too much. There's too much information out in the world and us looking after everything instead of just our own circle may be the cause of such distress. I would rather not know what's happening elsewhere than go insane over worrying about it. I still choose to read the news, but with such availability of it, its hard not to because I want to hear about it. Get your real news from real sources, but don't try getting real news from social media, because most likely they don't know what they're talking about unless its full-context full researched articles.
To destress from work or from worrying about things, my favorite thing since coming to college is reading, or taking walks, or doing puzzle type activities. Sometimes my downtime can be thinking, but also thinking can be dangerous if you go down the wrong paths of thought, so I might just hum on my walk or focus hard on reading. Having a little pastime that you enjoy and destress with can help overwhelmingly with your mental health, and I suggest everyone has a plan if they start having a state of panic or distress, like calming down, doing exercises, listening to music, going on walks, whatever works for you.
Not only is social media bad for mental health, it continues to go down the spiral of less-user-focused-platforms (especially youtube), overuse, echo chambers, censoring, and misleading photos/videos/lifestyles. Some people undershare on social media, which makes their lives seem better than they are. Some people overshare, which makes them seem worse off or desperate for attention, which neither is healthy. I honestly don't think anybody that's trying to limit themselves should have a twitter account, or an instagram account, and probably not facebook either. If anything, use snapchat to get in touch with friends, but only use that part of the app.
I hope social media gets better in the future, but really it hasn't changed much and I doubt it will get better. I don't own any social media, nor do I really plan to (sorry bailey), and I think that's for the better.

Dang, you should still get a snapchat and add me though lol. Anyways, thankfully I don't use Instagram or Twitter (insta is boring like you're just looking at pictures and some videos of people's lives, and twitter makes no sense and is pretty toxic tbh). I do use Facebook and seeing some posts from people that I don't agree with is frustrating but I know to not take the time to argue with people on it. I mainly use Facebook when I'm REALLY bored and have nothing else to do. Overall I agree with everything you said. Everyone should find a hobby to do that will be beneficial to their mental health and/or physical health. Thanks for reading my post, Daniel.

Social media on mental health is... disastrous.

In 2018 I was going through a really dark phase and it was to the point where I was spending 15 hours of my day on the computer, or on social media. I was constantly irritable, I was rude and I was overall a complete and utter mess. I never really got around to isolating myself until my first breakdown. Because my phone had gotten taken and I had gotten so angry over it that I lost myself and I turned insane. Because all the people I loved and trusted were online. Anyways it ended up being around 4 hours before they got me to calm down, but I had done alot of damage in those 4 hours. Ever since then I've done counselling, therapy, a whole lot of things. And I've gotten really better. But it did take alot of time and it took a major toll on my mentality.

I hope you're feeling better and continue to get better. I'm always here for you if you need anything. Stay strong

Zendaya2408 wrote on 24th October 2020, 05:36 PM:

Social media on mental health is... disastrous.
In 2018 I was going through a really dark phase and it was to the point where I was spending 15 hours of my day on the computer, or on social media. I was constantly irritable, I was rude and I was overall a complete and utter mess. I never really got around to isolating myself until my first breakdown. Because my phone had gotten taken and I had gotten so angry over it that I lost myself and I turned insane. Because all the people I loved and trusted were online. Anyways it ended up being around 4 hours before they got me to calm down, but I had done alot of damage in those 4 hours. Ever since then I've done counselling, therapy, a whole lot of things. And I've gotten really better. But it did take alot of time and it took a major toll on my mentality.
I hope you're feeling better and continue to get better. I'm always here for you if you need anything. Stay strong

I'm glad you used resources like counseling and therapy to recover from what you were going through. Thanks for taking the time comment, zen.

For these reasons I never got into social media and keep my inputs on there minimal. This forum is a sort of social media but I feel more in control since its mine.

Damen wrote on 26th October 2020, 05:02 PM:

For these reasons I never got into social media and keep my inputs on there minimal. This forum is a sort of social media but I feel more in control since its mine.

After I wrote this, I thought to myself about how this forum is a social media in and of itself. It has the same functions of Twitter and Facebook combined with status updates and personal posts. You're smart for not getting into social media and using it at the bare minimum. I am, however, grateful for this forum and its existence for the past 7 years. I was literally 12 when I joined and have grown quite a lot since then now that I'm almost 20.

HipHop wrote on 26th October 2020, 05:07 PM:

Quote:

Damen wrote on 26th October 2020, 05:02 PM:
For these reasons I never got into social media and keep my inputs on there minimal. This forum is a sort of social media but I feel more in control since its mine.

After I wrote this, I thought to myself about how this forum is a social media in and of itself. It has the same functions of Twitter and Facebook combined with status updates and personal posts. You're smart for not getting into social media and using it at the bare minimum. I am, however, grateful for this forum and its existence for the past 7 years. I was literally 12 when I joined and have grown quite a lot since then now that I'm almost 20.

It is very similar to a SM platform my Good Bailey. DSGHQ is a small community which may make it more pleasant and worth the time spent here... mostly

Well spoken Bailey, thank you for the help and advice.