Somewhere between a “get ready with me” and a smoothie recipe, your For You Page probably has popped up with a video titled something like “10 signs you may have ADHD” or “Why you’re actually neurodivergent.” All of a sudden, millions of young adults are now convinced they’ve self-diagnosed their way into a clinical condition.
Welcome to the age of DIY diagnosis; it's becoming dangerous.
To be clear, mental health awareness is a good thing. Gen Z talking openly about anxiety, depression and neurodivergence is a huge step forward from the hush-hush attitudes of past generations. Awareness without accuracy or diagnosis is a recipe for disaster. It’s exactly what is happening on social media right now.
In 2021, the hashtag "#ADHD” had 2.9 million views, and "#tourettes" had 2.5 billion views. The popularity of these hashtags and videos is not mental health awareness. Instead, they are playing the role of a doctor without a license.
The problem is not only that TikTok therapists oversimplify complex conditions into aesthetic checklists. It is these watered-down definitions that blur the line between everyday experiences and real diagnoses. Feeling sad after a breakup isn’t typically considered clinical depression. Being introverted doesn’t mean you have social anxiety. Losing focus in math class does not automatically equal ADHD. Social media has made those distinctions fuzzy and in some cases nonexistent.
There is also a darker side to self-diagnosis. Potentially misdiagnosing oneself can delay proper treatment, and misdiagnosis is dangerous because you risk masking symptoms of a serious condition or delaying necessary medical attention. Young adults who assume their panic attacks are simply anxiety might ignore underlying medical issues. Someone convinced they have ADHD might push for stimulant medication they do not actually need. And those who convince themselves they are beyond help because of a label they gave themselves may never seek help at all.
Meanwhile, doctors are sounding the alarm. This is due to the creation of an echo chamber on social media surrounding mental health. The algorithm on social media is designed to show content that aligns with users’ behaviors, resulting in content that may reinforce a mental health concept or condition, rather than providing another perspective. While TikTok can provide a community for those struggling with mental health, it shouldn’t be your diagnosis.
The most dangerous part of it all, self-diagnosis, gives a false sense of understanding. Young adults think they are taking control of their mental health when in reality, they are often building identities around misinformation. It is not self-awareness; it is self-deception.
It’s time to stop treating TikTok like a medical journal and more like a resource. It is great to relate to content and recognize patterns in your behavior, but this should be the starting point, not the final answer. Mental health is personal and deeply individual. It deserves more than a 15-second video and a hashtag.
Talk to a professional. Receive an evaluation, ask questions. Curiosity is healthy, but self-diagnosis without expertise is not self-care. It’s self-sabotage.
Heidi Bartolone is a sophomore studying communications at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Heidi about her column? Email her at hb963023@ohio.edu. @heidibartolone (Instagram)
