Did I Ask To Be Psychoanalyzed?

In the market for a new therapist? Just post a video on social media, and you’ll discover a plethora of (most likely) unqualified people ready to diagnose you with anything under the sun. 

With the continuously broadening ability to find information anywhere on the internet, people can research and learn about various topics that thousands of people go through years of school to get a degree in. However, with this ability comes the inevitable case of unqualified people giving unsolicited advice and diagnoses. 

Recently, self-diagnosis and psychoanalysis have been on the rise, psychological terms becoming a part of slang and daily conversation. It’s not uncommon to come across a video of someone discussing their relationship, and the comments are filled with random accounts saying that they have an anxious or avoidant attachment style. 

While that could be true, attachment styles are formed from childhood experiences, so a one-minute video about an argument someone had with their partner does not give anyone, other than a licensed therapist, the ability to diagnose them. 

“Limerance”, “OCD”, and “trauma” are other words that I see typed into millions of comments on videos. We should handle these heavy words with care and compassion, not lightly or tossed around. 

A pattern that I have noticed when it comes to psychoanalyzing and using words like these is that they are often regarding someone just expressing their emotions. It’s essential to recognize the distinct difference between unhealthy, toxic behavior, mental illnesses, and someone just being sad or having feelings for another. 

Our society perpetuates that emotions are weaknesses and must be fixed or pushed down. This can be shown through various aspects of our society, including relationships, hustle culture, decreased empathy, etc. By tossing around psychological words and mental illness diagnoses, the idea that people need to be “fixed” is sustained. 

So if you’re looking for a reminder that you are not a psychologist’s wet dream personified, you’re just a human, here it is. 

You don’t need a diagnosis for every emotion you feel, but if you are concerned, make an appointment to see a professional. 

We deep feelers have a lot of love to share, so don’t let someone psychoanalyzing you stop you from sharing that love with the world.

Strike out, 

Madi Denizard 

Boca Raton 

Madi Denizard is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. In typical Leo fashion, she is a social butterfly and loves self-expression of all kinds. When she’s not writing, you can find her with her nose stuck in a book, mermaiding in the ocean or crocheting her newest masterpiece. You can reach her by email at madison.denizard@gmail.com or on Instagram @mpaigee_