Living in a more progressive society has shined a light on what was once an often-dismissed topic like mental health. It’s also allowed those struggling to find different coping methods, ultimately lessening their burdens.
Memes can sometimes be a source of quick laughs that uplift the spirits. That’s where platforms like the Existence Is Pain Instagram page come in. Its content doesn’t disappoint, touching on sensitive topics like anxiety and overthinking and presenting them lightheartedly.
We’ve picked out some of the best memes from the page, which we think you’ll enjoy. For those with mental struggles, hopefully these can make you smile today.
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Many memes you’ll see here tackle serious issues like anxiety in jest. According to licensed therapist Theodora Blanchfield, memes enable people to make jokes about their condition because of their presentation.
In an article for Very Well Mind, Blanchfield mentioned a study suggesting that memes can help promote emotional regulation when dealing with harsher subjects like mental health.
Human connection is a huge deal for everyone, especially those struggling with their mental health. Knowing that someone shares the same challenges as you do makes the burdens feel more bearable, at the very least.
As Blanchfield points out, memes build a connection between people through communal enjoyment and laughter. It also creates a “shared” language.
“Missing out on a meme won’t kill you, but having that shared language will help bring you closer,” she wrote.
Some updating required : .... and everyone is sending a tiktok video.
However, we can’t sweep the downsides under the rug. Some studies have suggested that memes may trivialize the realities of mental health struggles like depression by expressing them humorously.
Others may see it as a way of promoting ideas of self-harm, which have been on a steady rise over the recent years.
Most of the UK have gates in major supermarkets, so you have to squeeze past people and trolleys at the checkouts/self serve. Which is made more fun when you realise we have made queuing an art form and those that even appear to circumvent our most holiest of traditions are looked down upon with distain. I am not joking, if you want to see what an angry mob with pitchforks and torches looks like, jump a queue in the UK
Damned if you , damned if you don't. Oh, what a meaningless existence....
Ultimately, it’s all about finding the balance. For psychotherapist Dr. James Davies, it’s seeing memes for what they really are and taking them with a grain of salt.
“The true value of these memes is revealed through analyzing their social function, which is to communicate deep discontent,” Dr. Davies told Refinery29 in an interview.
Unfortunately, no matter how much I don't want to do something that others like, peer pressure often makes me do it anyway :(
Now, we’d like to hear from you, readers. Do mental health memes help alleviate your struggles even slightly? Let us know in the comments!
Many people who talk quite a bit still manage to be absolutely mystifying.
I've seen tattooists provide a little therapy on the job more than once. It's really sweet, and especially when it's because someone's getting a memorial tattoo, like when I got one in honour of my dog.
Also get your TSH checked. Hypothyroid can cause feeling tired when you wake up.
Voles. Don't forget the voles. And if they're fresh, a bat. No crickets, please. We have enough.
used to suffer through lunches with my two best friends where they would spend the entire time talking about some video game I'd never played, and then I eventually learned that only one of them had actually played it and the other was just faking interest and lowkey bs-ing the whole time. mad respect for her tbh.
Trust me, you want me take a break from socializing. I'm not pleasant when I don't have a quiet break.
I hate good days which sounds weird. I don't mind better days but good days lull you into a false sense of security, you venture out of your safe zone and BAM, think about your foolish actions while stand in a corner shaking and screaming at the wall, or curled on the floor crying. Now you can flog yourself for the next few days for thinking you deserved a good day.
Lots of philosophy memes mixed in with the mental health ones. And some dumb comments from Pandas, making it sound like mental illness is a minor inconvenience that can be overcome with will power.
It really can't but I have a couple of tips that have helped me a lot. If you want to hear any just ask but I won't force unsolicited advice on you.
Load More Replies...Lots of philosophy memes mixed in with the mental health ones. And some dumb comments from Pandas, making it sound like mental illness is a minor inconvenience that can be overcome with will power.
It really can't but I have a couple of tips that have helped me a lot. If you want to hear any just ask but I won't force unsolicited advice on you.
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