Even though we might not realize it, we use certain coping mechanisms to help us deal with daily stress and uncomfortable situations. With social media becoming a prominent part of our day-to-day, we have found new ways to do that, and researchers have noticed that online content, like memes, is helping us through the rougher patches of life with humor.
And it seems to be working, as mental health meme pages are gaining more and more interest. One of them is called “Dont.happy.lol” and has already amassed more than 31k followers by posting images with text that allow viewers to laugh at their problems in a comic relief kind of way.
Scroll down to find the best this Instagram account has to offer, which also serves as a reminder that ♫ we’re all in this together ♫.
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I am bloody hilarious. Watch: why couldn't the bad sailor learn the alphabet? Because he always got lost at "C". I'm hilarious. Admit it/s
I hate to tell people this anecdote as our society evolves, because my parents never beat me; spanks were mostly symbolic. But I learned that by making my mother laugh, I could avoid getting spanked. Those skills prevented me from ever getting beat up in school. I'm now appearing at the Pyongyang Improv alternate Fridays.
Well you make me laugh, would you like to be my nephew, can't have too many
Load More Replies...I think Carrie Fischer said it best. If my life wasn't funny, it. would just be true.
"O wait... so how many of my personalities have you met? Josephine didn't tell me about meeting you."
Even better news is that these mental health memes seem to be therapist-approved. “I love mental health memes,” said therapist Greta MacMillan in a Simple Practice Monarch article. “I follow so many accounts.” She even shares these memes with her clients because she believes that it’s a great way to get important information out there.
Clients may also leave therapy sessions uncertain of how to act upon the advice they’ve received during it, as there’s quite a lot of detailed information shared. MacMillan reckons that therapy memes can help make complicated topics easier for people to digest.
Similar thoughts arise when I see a sign in a shop saying "just ask one of our friendly staff!". Like where do they keep the unfriendly ones? I eventually found out the answer was "out the back in the loading bay area near the dumpster, smoking and making nasty remarks aimed at passers by".
Very accurate! I have suicidal thoughts quite often. Not because I want to die, but because I'm tired of feeling the way I do. Just complete sadness, anxiety, and feeling worthless and alone. I know if I tell a doctor or therapist how i truly feel. They will probably force me into a mental health facility. So I walk a fine line when it comes to getting the help I really need and not being seen as crazy and wanting to take my own life and being admitted to a hospital. I don't think we talk about this enough. It sucks!
I have a tip for that. I have suicidal thoughts, and my friend said to write a list of people that would miss you, or that you would miss if they died. It's really long if you sit down and think about it.
Load More Replies...I'm not feeling any better, I'm just better at faking normal now...
People often think that if you tell your therapist a lot of heavy stuff, they're gonna keep you there against your will. But this rarely ever happens, it only happens if they really think you're likely to end your life or hurt others. In the vast majority of cases, talking about suicidal thoughts doesn't get you involuntarily locked up. And talking about hearing voices really doesn't get you involuntary treatment, therapists say most people who hear voices don't even need to be treated for it at all. You only need treatment for it if the voices tell you things like harming people or yourself, or if you're very distressed about hearing the voices, but in other cases it's actually not considered a problem that needs treatment. Seriously, most people with mental health issues don't have to worry about ever getting involuntary treatment.
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who commented and wanted to help. I appreciate all your words of compassion and wisdom. Knowing that others feel similar or the same way. Brings me comfort and it's nice not feeling alone in my thoughts and feelings. :)
1:30 p.m. and I am fixin to get all snuggly buggly in bed and take my nap! :)
Load More Replies...TBH, I prefer this to when they write "your" when it should be "you're"...
Load More Replies...So, someone called raccoons, 'goth corgis' and that is how I will refer to them henceforth!
that is the cutest thing i have seen in my 3 hours of reading c**p on BP
”When I was in my twenties, none of this was out there,” she adds.
MacMillan thinks that it would’ve been helpful to be able to go online and instantly connect with people who share such tough experiences. Now it has become possible to meet people by interacting with mental health memes, as the pages that post them have morphed into a kind of support group.
I always say that you'll never hear about me being kidnapped. You'll hear about me being shoved out of a moving van a few blocks from house. Because that's about how long it'll take for them to decide that I talk too much.
OMG, as someone whose college nickname was "Cliffie" (reference John Ratzenberger from Cheers), this knocked me to the floor.
Load More Replies...The poor kidnappers would probably pay money to my family so that they take me back after an hour max.
If you get the chance, read "The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry.
Load More Replies...I'd be asking all kinds of questions like this and asking if we can stop by McDonald's for food.
My mom said that they’d keep my sister if they could deal with her talking because she was a pleasant kid and super friendly, but me they’d bring back because I’d immediately start crying forever. Ironically she said this because when I was a baby, she left me in the car for a few minutes and someone stole the car to try to get the radio out. I immediately started crying because I was super colicky at the time and wouldn’t stop, so by the time my mom and bystanders were calling the police they got another call 2 blocks down that the car had been abandoned and the baby inside was okay, just crying her lungs out. Thanks colic I guess!
Someone kidnapped our dog from our car and then brought her back and tied her to our tree. She barked a LOT.
That's why I sleep propped up on fluffy pillows with even more fluffy pillows all around me. Works like a charm.
Can't do that. I sleep like a rotisserie chicken and turn all night.
Load More Replies...Me: finally got 8 solid hrs of sleep. My Sleep Cycle: See you again in three rotations around the sun, and two shakes of a lamb’s tail.
Idk tho, the quadratic formula seemed to be very useful to write a resume 🙄
Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell...
Load More Replies...Ok but I’m sure if we had a class learning about taxes kids would still complain about being bored
Why do people expect school to teach them about life? Not their job. It's reading writing and arithmetic sprinkled with history. It's the parents job to educate them about life, love, sex, taxes and death
“How do I afford to college? Buy a house? Find personal fulfillment?” “Welp, a squared plus b squared equal c squared *pats back* off you go”
have you ever considered the fact that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell?
it took me a minute to realise that you might not be talking about virgil from devil may cry
Load More Replies...Therapist Minon Maier, LMFT, shares that her clients find them helpful as well.
“I have found that many teens and young adults benefit from mental health memes. Most teens are brought to therapy by parents, not necessarily their own choice, and being able to talk about memes is helpful in validating and normalizing their experience.”
me who gets headaches, stomach pains, and the worst possible case of dizziness every time: haha truth
Must say, the object labelled “literally nothing” looks quite unpleasant
Good point! Whether a small or big trigger, the perceived threat is real.
Load More Replies...Makes two truths, one lie interesting at least!
Load More Replies...Every Wednesday in therapy I always finish a story with ‘ but that’s life yah know?’
Maier mentions that there are times when clients share memes during sessions to assist them in articulating their feelings better. She says that this can be a great way to build trust with them and address any underlying emotions, needs, or wants.
“I’ve found that I’m able to help clients process at a deeper level because the meme has opened a door to underlying hurts,” she explains. “So, when clients share a meme with me, I feel honored that they trust me.”
“Why do you treat other kids better than your siblings?” “Because my siblings treat me like c**p”
I had to see extended family after decades bc of my mother's funeral. I did really well, talked with them like I didn't resent them for not helping me. The next day aunt asked me brother if I'm mentally ill bc a month earlier I didn't greet them when they arrived unannounced.
People on Social Media tend to avoid dealing with reality because it scares them.
Load More Replies...Therapist Jessica Angley, LPC, points out that memes shouldn't be used as a replacement for therapy. “But, that said, I appreciate the memes directed at people in therapy.”
She believes that such memes can help lessen the stigma around mental health and therapy. People seeing others seeking treatment and being able to relate to their reasons might accept the need to reach out to someone more easily.
In my case, he's a she, and she's a horrible influence on my life! Care to get rid of her? Anyone?
I actually found out that one of the reasons is so hard on myself is because [redacted] was more critical than I thought, growing up. It wasn’t until I looked back on some stuff with a therapist that I realised how they spoke to me.
Oh god... I'm... I'm cured! Thank you! You saved me you f*****g twat!
“Oh my god! Why didn’t I think of trying that?! Thank you so much! You’re a Godsend!”😒
Load More Replies...They really be telling me “don’t be sad,” and I be like “why am I not allowed to have feelings!?
I remember my first experience with severe depression, and my dad telling me, “That’s just life.”
Sadly, those who have an easy life won't understand those who never stood a chance.
Is there anybody in the whole world who has an easy life?
Load More Replies...And sour, too (these gummy bears are made up of a sweet and a sour flavour, they’re delicious).
Load More Replies...Ah! my eyes have been sullied with gummy bear p o r n!!!!
Load More Replies...She has also received mental health memes from clients who wanted to communicate about important topics.
Angley shares, “A client once sent me a meme about their therapist asking them if they're taking their meds. It gave me an opening to ask if she was taking hers, and she wasn't! The meme had given her a way to start that conversation with me.”
I love how shouty little birds are. Wrens are my favourite. Unassuming round brown fluffballs but when they open their little beaks ... gee willikers!
I recently read that there are people that do not have an inner voice, inner dialogue, no images flitting through their mind, just quiet. I told my fiance about it and then had to explain to him what I was talking about. Turns out, he doesn't have all that either! He said he thought when I say that I couldn't sleep because my mind wouldn't shut up, was just a goofy saying. I have never before been so jealous of a group of people until finding out that fact.
If I had ANY clue how to quiet my mind, I'm certain my problems would be noticeably easier to deal with.
Reminds me of a picture on a vending machine "Light inside is out, but still works".... Me too machine, me too...
However, she further warns that some darker meme accounts can become unhelpful as they step into self-deprecation territory. “When we get into the realm of self-deprecation, that's where the laughs stop for me,” she explains. Angley herself has unfollowed several of them to protect her own mental well-being.
My husband used to say this any time I said I was sad. Now he says, what can i do to help
Load More Replies...There needs to be another, smaller and less effective shovel labeled "What do you have to be sad about?"
Running aground cost them $600M, finally. For lost revenue and repairs to the embankments.
My son: "don't be sad mammy, be happy like me", like it's easy!
I want to see the pigs with specific duties. What are these duties?
Something she finds additionally alarming is when people send memes to notify people that they aren’t doing their best. “I saw one meme that said something like ‘The number of mental health memes I share is inversely correlated with the quality of my mental health,''' she explains. “For some people, sharing mental health memes can be a low-key way of signaling that they're not doing well and that they could use a friend.”
Even though it might be difficult to reach for help when a person is in pain, Angley doesn’t recommend using memes to communicate with friends or relatives when they are struggling.
Sleep is awesome... you can shut people out/up easily while also achieving some sort of peace.
H̷̡̧̳͚̺̝̳̲̲͛͊̈̀̌̽̀̔ỉ̵̮̗͎̖̞̩̩̹͗̎̾,̷̡̹̘̤̯̰̰̘̗̊̅̎̓̉̉́̚̚͠ͅ ̸̡͕̀͠ͅw̵͍̼̄̈̊͌́͛͑̚h̵̭͚̮͍̽̈́͛̅̈́̀̉͊̈́̓ḁ̸̥͙̝͖̜͈̳̟͍̒̔͆̎̐̑͝t̶̡̟̟̳̘͎̰̻̫͆̾͜͝'̷̢̟̉̈́̽̔̿́͋̇ș̶̮̜̮͕̎̈́̃͂ ̶̻̬̹̩̟̲͓͇̋̊͛͊́͛̔́̄͝u̷̡̍͋̌̀̑̔̓̑̽p̶̲̐̆̿ ̴̭͆̈́̀̕y̵̨̧̛̤͖͚͖̍̿̃̄̔͆'̴̡̹̱̜͔̘̼̪͍͍̆̄̈́̊͝a̴̧̫̰̝̳̦̰̪͔̿̿͋͂̌̾̄̕̕͘l̸͎̳̗̘̒́̌̅l̷̢̨͖͇͖̲̀͌͋̊͊́̄͝ ooh cursed text :0
As Bugs Bunny once said: "I wonder if that duck will remember he can fly...nope"
I watch the local mallard ducks doing that. They're actively feeding just upstream from the dam and they drift down to the waterfall, seemingly oblivious, and then they drift over the edge and then they fly a little way upstream and do it again.
As online discussion can exclude some nuances of certain situations, MacMillan emphasizes that it’s important to be cautious and not accept all social media meme posts and comments as truth. “Not everyone who interacts with a mental health meme may truly understand or respect the experience it's depicting,” she notes.
However, ultimately, she concludes that the benefits of mental health memes outweigh the negatives.
I'm probably just an attention-seeking b***h anyways *wipes away onslaught of tears*
Load More Replies...Don’t worry! If you’re in a job like mine, you can have six therapy sessions. That should fix you riignt up.
Mood(Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. )
Don't forget feeling sickly from the excess caffeine.
Load More Replies...I saw a recent headline saying there was an inexplicable rise in teen suitcase. Really? Inexplicable? I’m an old fart and even I can think of about 100 reasons.
This is why as soon as I get my own house I will buy a crossbow and spear.
Three different AI's, each about 20 years apart, all predicted the fall of civilization in 2040 given the best data they had at the time on what was going on in the world. You might want to get ready.
If you don't have time to enjoy being alive now, when will you?
During covid I was so sure that everyone will die and I will not meet anyone in real life anymore even if we survive, I ate like a pig. I am still 10 kgs away from my original weight.
Someone is telling you they realy like you, but the second picture is the amount of effort they put into the relationship
Load More Replies...I used to have a sign that said "NO STUPID PEOPLE BEYOND THIS POINT" but they made me take it down in case a stupid person saw it and took offense.
Over 20 years ago I started a job where no one had been doing the necessary paperwork for months. It looked like this. Piles were a little neater but there was at least this amount of paper and probably more. I just started in on it, one piece at a time. Took me months to catch up but I finally managed it.
Once in college, I visited a professor's office who had literally ten times the amount of paper shown here. The level of anxiety I felt just standing in there was unreal.
It's my pile system, don't touch anything, I know exactly where everything is at.
The archivist in me desperately wants to go through all those papers and arrange them neatly in order.
Yes, like, I don’t need to recall that time in 4th friggin grade that I faked a 0% on my friend’s test in red pen or something
Thinking of this keeps me up at night. That and the ghost girl with no eyes who stands at the foot of my bed.
It needs updating for sure! That complex ptsd hasn't been added is ridiculous
It has been - 5-TR with wiggle room to include complex ptsd.
Load More Replies...How about we don't take pictures of strangers, especially when they're visibly distraught. Let alone post them on social media.
I think the worst part of this image isn't the photographer or the distraught person, it's the people sitting on their phones either ignoring the situation or just being lost souls
If I got this vulnerable, I'd want people to leave me alone. Just go about your day, don't mind my outburst. Lol
Load More Replies...Only in 44 states and Guantanamo Bay if you`re part of the military....
In my state, lawmakers were mad that it was legal so they made it felony animal cruelty. The contradiction is kind of comical. Touch an animal's bits because it is your job (vet, AI breeder etc) and the animal is just fine. But if you ENJOY touching their bits then the animal is suffering felony level abuse. I'm not advocating for zoophilia. I'm just amused at the weird work around they used in the way they worded the law.
Load More Replies...All the farmers in the Netherlands can relate... no chickens outside because of bird flu, cows can't poop on the land because of nitrogen crises, and farmers shouldn't farm at all because the government needs the ground to build houses and simultaneously there is a need for more nature. That is why the government is laying out buyout scams.. I mean schemes...
It is very hard to judge a book by half its cover. The author simply wants to sell farm produce locally
Load More Replies...It often IS. As a personal example - I have an estranged relative who is very dysfunctional and has a lot of personal issues. I don't like that they shut me out or that they have made a mess of their life (and somewhat of their kids) due to poor choices they have made. But it is what it is and saying it is not does not change the truth.
Load More Replies...I definitely did. Add d**g addict and it's definitely him.
Load More Replies...I know right. An open flame next to plastic on the head. Such a fire hazard!!
Load More Replies...Sméagol was a young, beautiful man until he got a ring - and we all know how that turned out for him...
The precious never hurt Smeagul. It was the filthy hobbitses! (🤣)
Load More Replies...I decided some time ago that if I must be bored I should at least be getting paid for it.
I had a time of being unemployed even though I knew it would be fine but then I was in 24/7 anxiety about not being employed.
Same. I've waited the opportunity multiple times. Anxiety is a fun killer.
Load More Replies...Just vibing while falling into an endless hole of ainxiety depression and trauma
This is why I try to be the best version of myself and live like God is watching and helping me
If you just realized this then you haven't got mental health issues.
P-P-P-P-Plot Twist!!!!!!! *AIR HORN BLARES*
Load More Replies...Seems unnecessarily judgmental. My wallpaper isn't a photo but I can think of multiple legit reasons that are not about narcissism. 1. Recognizing whose phone - like when a family has multiple cell phones of similar models. 2. Remembering a happy moment. 3. Reminding themselves to be a certain way. Like remembering to smile if they have resting B face.
right now mine is a picture of my parents, as I am away from them 🥲. and tiny grogu
What do you mean, "sudden"? I've had that belief for over a decade now...
Several decades here, just used and tossed away like garbage
Load More Replies...Hate to burst your bubble but Starry officially replaced Sierra Mist for PepsiCo. Kind of like making the mistake of re-dating an ex? 🙋♀️🤦♀️
Load More Replies...I am 37 today and I feel like I missed the last 10 years. What happened?
I've been 30ya since I was 8ya and I don't see any reason to get older, here in mid-50s.
Google in recent months: "Would you like Google to use your precise location for a more accurate answer?" I can google things with one location like The White House or Mt. Rushmore or Statue of Liberty and google still uses it as an excuse to encourage me to turn on location.
I've noticed this as well lately and I always click no.
Load More Replies...Hilariously painful (cartoon style)
Load More Replies...My mom always told me that how can someone so intelligent make such bad choices
I love how our entire civilization is barreling down the tracks towards ecological and societal collapse, and the best we can do is say "choo-choo" and laugh-cry.
I love how our entire civilization is barreling down the tracks towards ecological and societal collapse, and the best we can do is say "choo-choo" and laugh-cry.
