How I'm Using Social Media to Track My Mental Illness

I’m a social media butterfly. I tweet, I tumble, I pin and I post. There are a lot of reasons I use social media; to share with family members and friends who live far away, to promote my work and my books, etc. Sometimes I go online just to zone out for a while, sometimes I go online to work. However, the main reason I am constantly on social media is to track my mental illness.

Facebook has been my go-to over the years. I like to track important dates by posting about them, such as mental health intakes and graduations from programs. Sometimes I make posts that only I can see about important therapy sessions. This has been helpful to not only break stigma on my timeline, but to look back using the “On This Day” feature to see how far I’ve progressed in my mental health journey.

Twitter and Tumblr have also been important tools to help track my day. I live with dissociative amnesia and easily forget small details about my day, especially on days that my depression and anxiety are prominent. I tweet about the little things I do so I can look back at the end of the day and remember what I did. It’s also a good source for affirmations to get you through the day. Twitter is where I go for inspiration and support. I have followers that check in on me during my bad days, and I can offer the same support too.

Even better for me is YouTube. Youtube has become a great source of comfort for me. I have found vloggers (such as Gabbie Hanna) who deal with mental illness and talk to their viewers about how they deal with it. It feels comforting to know I’m not alone. These Youtubers have spoken out and made their story public. It’s almost like listening to a friend or mentor.

So yes, I have a social media obsession. But social media has been there for me in a way no one else has. Social media is available to me 24/7. I am always a Google search away from understanding my mental health a little bit better. I don’t feel guilty for being attached to my phone. I feel safe.

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Unsplash photo via freestocks.org