- Hey everybody, happy Thursday.
And since it's Thursday,
I have some FAQs that I'm gonna answer.
I know some of you have sent me media options,
but if you have any media ideas for a Thursday video,
something that's been going on in your area,
let me know below
because I'd love to know more
about what's going on around the world,
what's going on online in the world of mental health,
and something that you'd like me to talk about
because we're workin' together right?
And I don't get all the news from all over.
I only get certain things.
So, let me know what's going on
if you want me to talk about it.
Now, today I have two questions, so let's get goin'.
First question.
Is it possible that I could have a mental illness?
Or is it possible that by surrounding myself
with how it's represented in the media,
or surrounding myself with quizzes and symptom checkers,
that I could have talked myself into having one,
when in reality I don't have it
but I just believe that I do
because I can relate to why I'm feeling/doing the way I am
and it gives me a group that I can relate to?
Sorry, this is probably long and confusing.
No, I get it.
The question is, could I...
trick myself/slowly make myself think
that I have a mental illness when I really don't?
Now, there are a couple thoughts I have on this.
Number one, yes.
There's actually even a syndrome that we can have
where we pretend to have things that we don't have
or pretend to be sick when we're really not.
I forget what it is,
but it's like Munchausen Syndrome or something.
Anyway.
People do have that,
but usually it's for some sort of gain,
whether it's financial gain or gaining attention,
that's why people do it.
Now, I find that when we are struggling with something,
we seek out information.
Hence why I'm here, ta-da,
because I figured that people would be online
looking for information about mental health
and we should start talking about it
so that we can all get better together.
I would say that, no, by quizzing
and doing self-assessments and reading about it,
you're not giving yourself a mental illness.
You're struggling with something
and so you have sought out information about it
to better understand what you're going through.
Yes I do, on the other side, right?
Gonna play devil's advocate.
I do believe that some people can exacerbate their symptoms
by looking at a lot of things online or in media.
Like thinspo websites,
or websites that promote any kind of poor coping skill,
whether it be eating disorder, self-harm,
depression and suicidal thoughts or anxiety.
Whatever it is, if people are
promoting poor coping skills around it,
like promoting alcoholism or any number of things,
I think that that can make our issues worse
instead of making them better.
It doesn't help us
better understand what we're going through,
it just gives us another unhealthy coping skill
on top of what we're already struggling with.
Or it makes our current one worse than it was.
Those are things that I would keep in mind.
If you're seeking out positive,
helpful, self-help information,
then I think that's great.
And the reason that you sought it out in the first place
is 'cause you were struggling.
You didn't give it to yourself, okay?
Question number two.
Hey Katie.
I just wanted to see what your opinion is on family therapy.
It's amazing.
I was adopted into a family
and there always seems to be a lot of tension.
One time, when Child Services was at our house,
they suggested that we go into family therapy
and that was not the first time
that it had been suggested to us.
But I feel like everyone is really hesitant to do it
because we don't really know
what exactly we're getting ourselves into.
What do you do there,
and do you think it could help situations like this?
I love family therapy.
I think it could be really, really great.
It's also really, really difficult.
It's hard even as a therapist to do family therapy.
Usually I do it with someone else, if I can,
if it's a larger family, if there are three or four kids.
If it's smaller, it's fine to do it on your own,
but it's a lot to manage.
There's a lot of people that need to be heard,
and some people,
you have to initiate the conversation from them.
It tends to be, and I'll own this 'cause I'm a woman,
it tends to be the females that talk most of the time.
The mom, usually.
We'll talk and talk about all the issues that they have.
But dad usually tends to be very quiet.
Now, I know roles can be different
and people can be different,
and family dynamics and setups can be different.
There can be two moms, two dads.
That's not really what I'm getting at.
I'm just saying that as family therapy,
it's cool because mom tends to talk a lot, right?
Or whoever the main person talks a lot.
And that's what would happen at home.
She runs everything, or he runs everything, or whatever.
But in family therapy, you have a therapist,
and they're like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
No, I want to hear from Susie.
What's going on with Susie?
Or I want to hear from Jake.
What's going on with Jake?
Or whatever.
You stop one and you let the others talk
and it creates a different communication dance.
We call it a family dance.
Family dances together in a certain way,
healthy or unhealthy.
The therapist is there to stand in the way of this dance
and people run into you.
And they're like no, we're supposed to go this way.
This is what we do, we go this way.
And you're like no, that hasn't been working.
We're going to try to go this way.
Being in family therapy can really bring amazing awareness
to the way your family operates
and maybe that's why there's a lot of tension.
The communication isn't that great.
Doing it can be really helpful
'cause you not only have the insight
to be like wow, I didn't realize we were doing that.
But then you're able to try something different,
as uncomfortable as it is.
You have the time and therapy to try to work it out.
I cannot talk about it enough
and say enough positive things about it.
If you yourself have been in family therapy,
can you let us know below too
so that it's more than just me being like, it's amazing!
Other people will share their experiences.
I hope you all love this.
I will see you on Monday.
And maybe another video for a journal topic.
You never know when those are going to come out.
I hope you all have a wonderful day.
Talk to you then, bye!