If you have been keeping up with my blog, you might have caught on to the theme that my last few posts have really focused on the negative ties between the internet and mental health. Just like all things in the world, the depths of the internet has its pros and cons. Although the internet is without a doubt flawed in its affect on the world, it also has plenty of positive impacts.
I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety as a teenager. For many years, I was medicated accordingly and it seemed to be working, as far as I was concerned. Once I got to college, my mental health and personal happiness began to decline rapidly. I spent a lot of time wondering what I was doing wrong and why I was acting out in such ways, as I took my medicine regularly and do everything my doctor's recommended.
One day in class, a professor brought up bipolar disorder. As we talked about it more and more, I started to sweat as I realized I have never resonated with anything more. Racing out of class, I grabbed my laptop and did my own research. Then, I called my mom, made an appointment with a new psychiatrist, and was properly re-diagnosed.
Without my ability to access information through the internet, there is no telling how much longer I would have been taking a medication that can be detrimental to those with bipolar disorder or where I would have found my mental state.