Lately, the topic of mental health has been increasingly discussed and represented in the media. Sometimes, it's done as a joke, as in the case of the most recent Katy Perry drama. If you haven't seen the numerous posts online calling her out for it, Perry joked about the infamous public mental breakdown of Britney Spears (having a history with these types of attacks). While Perry was completely in the wrong, I think that we, as both consumers and creators (within the media, arts, conversations, whatever it may be), must hold ourselves to the same standards we do of celebrities. Just because their voices are amplified on Buzzfeed and YouTube, doesn't mean they are more important than the average person. Your words hold a lot of meaning.
I bring up Perry's case not only because of its relevance and recency, but because of the nature of the comments. She says them as jokes, having not "shaved her head yet," hidden behind an honestly okay comment that she "took time off for [her] mental health." If she had stopped there, this would have actually been a great answer to the question, exemplifying both the toll the lifestyle takes on celebrities, as well as the importance of being aware of your own mental health, no matter your status. But she didn't.
Comparing your mental state to another's invalidates both experiences. No two experiences with mental illness are going to be identical because we all have different environmental and individual factors that work together to affect and fester up these disorders. While there are varying degrees of the amount to which they inhibit one to live their life without treatment, it does no one any good to compare.
All too often, whether it be in conversation or online, I see people discrediting others, ignoring their stories and suggesting that they are overdramatic or seeking attention. It is not your call to decide whether or not that person actually has whatever they are claiming they have. While there is a trend of romanticizing mental illness, we need to tread that line so carefully, because we never know where someone truly stands. Mental disorders are not competitions that one person can win, and declare to the world that they have that illness. They aren't really all that desirable, either, to put it incredibly lightly, so I don't completely understand the idea of wanting to have it worse off than another person. It doesn't make you quirky or more interesting.
The idea that one person can't have anxiety, for example, because they don't display all of the same symptoms, or to a certain degree, as someone else is actually so toxic. Not only to the person claiming to have anxiety, but also to the person doing the comparing. We need to focus on our own mental health first, and if we are consumed by trying to prove to others or ourselves that we are the most anxious or the most depressed, we are not focusing on what is important. Even according to a diagnosis from the both acclaimed and criticized Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (more commonly abbreviated to just the DSM), one does not need to show every documented symptom to be diagnosed.
These little acts of invalidation lead to widespread, harmful effects. Anyone who may see that comment you make on that post, or especially the person directly invalidated may not want to seek treatment or help, because they don't want to embarrass themselves. They may start to downplay the seriousness of their specific disorder and could potentially harm themselves. Talking about it with a professional will seem useless or as though it will just end in embarrassment because of jokes like Perry's or comments made comparing mental illnesses. We need to try to show as much compassion and patience as possible, so that everyone can feel comfortable seeking the help they may need.
