To be or not to be, to love or not to love, to eat this chocolate cake in one sitting or… Wait, where did it go? These are some of the decisions we find ourselves making on a daily basis, our brains running quicker than the speed of light trying to figure out which choices are the best and how we can continue existing whilst making them.
Therefore, the mind requires a holiday after time. 5 minutes of meditation or 5 hours of scrolling on social media may do the trick, but sorting through all the baggage that tends to pile up may take a professional’s helping hand. That very professional goes by the name of “therapist.”
But for those of us too scared of seeking one out, we have the next best thing—the “Someone’s therapist” Instagram page. Obviously, we’re not being serious when we compare the two. Seek out therapy, it’ll help ya out.
Do you know how hilarious it is to read scientific papers on memes? Look at this bit of fantastic writing right here by researchers Umair Akram and Jennifer Drabble that delves into what memes are: “Composed of an image and short caption, internet memes visually depict an element of a culture or behavioral system, in a humorous way that contextually relates to a particular demographic. Typically, they are rapidly shared, with many variations of the original.”
Such a sophisticated way to describe the funny-haha content. However, their study uncovered something peculiar. While several psychiatrists and media outlets believe internet memes to be associated with adverse consequences when it comes to mental health, their research proved otherwise. Instead of further compromising people’s mental health, the researchers found that memes help facilitate feelings of joy, happiness and companionship.
Before we dive further into the positives of memes, let’s look at the other side of the same coin. Social media as a whole tends to get a bit of a bad rep when it comes to mental health. Elise Champanhet argues that the often-played comparison game—between ourselves and idealistically painted lives, relationships, bodies, etc.—can cause many people to have low self-esteem and further drive feelings of depression and anxiety.
Very rarely are those lives as perfect as they’re made to seem, yet it’s difficult to ignore the negative feelings when we realize someone reached important milestones before us or succeeded in their studies or career in less time. Are we failures for not all following the same schedule? Of course not! But you can’t quiet that voice in the back of your head whispering that you may be happier had you done all the things you told yourself to do.
However, there are some positives to be acknowledged, especially when it comes to memes. They serve as a beneficial coping mechanism, facilitating a humorous take on often negative situations or experiences. Furthermore, they help drive the notion that the person isn’t alone in their feelings, validating them and providing a sense of peer support.
One can safely say that memes have played a positive part in normalizing the discussion of mental health as a whole. These memes tend to cover many elements, including mental illness, seeing a therapist, positive thoughts about mental health, teaching people about boundaries, encouraging them to ask for help, and lowering the stigma around mental health.
There also may be an interesting place for memes in counseling. The courage it takes to begin mental health therapy cannot be understated, but that’s only the beginning. Honestly opening up to some stranger can seem impossible, but this is where memes can come in handy. Doctor Shainna Ali argues that one can use them as a reference for emotional intelligence.
For example, a client may begin a session with an update from a recent event. While they may struggle to discern the emotion, they may have already connected their experience to a meme. Bringing the meme up without being probed could help the pair accelerate processing. Dr. Ali urges, however, that memes should be kept as conversation starters rather than being the element that healing is built upon.
We could all benefit from a couple of therapy sessions. Life is tough and there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging just how much things suck. Admitting there’s a problem is the first step towards solving it, and we hope, dear readers, that this post will both elicit a chuckle out of you and encourage you to seek out a therapist to share some of these memes with.
As you’re scrolling through this list, make sure to upvote your favorites, leave some comments, and check out “Someone’s therapist” for a continuous influx of relatable content. You know what they say, “Someone’s therapist knows all about you”… Have a good day, and see you in the next one!
