Forms of Mental Illness

Over the last few decades, our understanding of mental illness has greatly increased, especially with the use of the internet. Our understanding of mental disorders and their impact has developed to the point where we can more accurately diagnose and rehabilitate the various types that exist today. With our increased understanding, it is important to educate ourselves on mental illness as much as we possibly can.

Understanding Mental Illness
While many people think of mental health in terms of diagnoses of traditional mental “disorders,” mental health extends far beyond just anxiety and depression. It can range from the well-known anxiety and depression to self esteem issues regarding body image. Body image based disorders such as Bulimia and Anorexia can be influenced by standards or the culture on various social media apps. A lot of similar range severity, so the perception of them will range based on the age group. On top of this, there is no singular cause for any of these disorders.

Some experience mental disorders directly from digital media whereas others can experience it from interacting with others. High schoolers who tend to be social, may feel pressured to constantly participate at the level as others within digital media; this cycle perpetuates itself as people see others participating and shaping themselves to the standards that they see in the community, which can lead to the development of unfair body standards or develop a form of anxiety known as fear of missing out (FOMO). Adults often believe that their data is at risk online, which doesn’t come directly from something but is a real fear. This doesn’t just apply to your average person, social pressures can applied from a digital source to celebrities and politicians who are even more in the public eye. They are typically expected to interact with their followers on social media, as well as give updates— this is why celebrities will take breaks from digital media or delete it entirely. Regardless of the cause or severity of these disorders, it can be hard to break some of the habits that these form, it's important to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and try to understand their perspective.

Again, breaking habits is a difficult thing to do, especially for someone with an attention disorder. Attention disorders fall into the category of mental health, and are as prominent in our society as more well-known disorders, such as anorexia or depression. The digital world can be a nightmare for someone with ADHD, but it also has the power to be a saving-grace. New digital technologies are being developed to help assist those with attention disorders, specifically young students with ADHD. Mental illness takes many forms, and the digital era has a large influence on the severity or overall presence of these disorders. It is important to note that “mental health” embodies a wide range of disorders and difficulties, it does not discriminate against age, sex, weight, culture or values.