This article recently came to my attention on Facebook, and I immediately felt my stomach drop. As someone who lives with mental illness and is an aspiring therapist, I had to say something. While I do respect other people's opinions and the right to share them, I won't stand for perpetuating misinformation and stigma. Let's get right into it, shall we?

"It seems like it is now a trendy thing to claim you have depression or anxiety online and IRL based on your own self-diagnosis."

What, no sources? No links? No names? Come on, if you're gonna convince me of an argument, give me some reasoning.

But seriously, where are you noticing this "trend?" Are you referring to the primarily young communities on Tumblr, who might not have the resources and find comfort in connecting with similarly minded people? Or maybe this platform, through which many college students (1 in 5 have mental illness) have shared their experiences? On Twitter? Facebook? In real life? Could you kindly redirect me to a single place where mental illness is a fun, hip trend? Because I've had experience with people who needed professional help but lacked the finances, which I'll get to in just a moment.

"A diagnosis involves seeing a doctor, not some video you saw on Facebook and which made you say to yourself, 'That's totally me!' That is in no way a proper diagnosis, and frankly most (not all) of those 'living with anxiety/depression' articles or videos are so far from the truth."

Repeat after me: not all doctors are invaluable sources! They are human beings, so they can make mistakes. They can make misdiagnoses, which, believe it or not, is a troubling phenomenon in the mental health community.

For instance, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) can be easily mistaken as anxiety, OCD, depression, and bipolar disorder. Many children who are diagnosed with ADHD might actually be experiencing age-related difficulties in focusing and acting maturely. As for adults, many people (including some professionals) may believe that ADHD is only a childhood disorder. Not to mention that many ADHD symptoms (e.g. racing thoughts or mood swings) can be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Even though psychologists and psychiatrists have been trained to diagnose patients as objectively as possible, they also have their biases and misconceptions. One young woman had a childhood doctor who dismissed her anxiety as "fake." Yes, you heard that right: a licensed medical professional said that her disorder wasn't real.

Also, not everyone has the money or the resources to see a professional. In New York City, where I'm from, seeing a therapist can cost between $200-$300 for one session. Multiply that by one session a week, and the costs pile up faster than patients are able to pay. I grew up in a privileged family, so I was lucky enough to see therapists for years, but one session can make a huge dent in your wallet for many people.

"But what does labeling yourself with a mental illness do to those who are actually diagnosed? You make them look like they are faking it. You make them look like they are being dramatic. You make them seem crazy if they need medication. You make any other mental illness besides anxiety or depression seem 'psycho.' You delegitimize real issues that people face every day. You undermine what it means to have a panic attack."

"You have rewritten what it means to have anxiety or depression. You have made mental illnesses into a trend. You have made mental illnesses into a basic b*tch hashtag. You have made lives harder. You steal their resources and their support all because you want a like, a share, a comment, or a reblog."

Yes, let's believe that some Basic B*tches on social media decided to reduce mental illness into a hashtag because they want attention. It's definitely their fault that licensed mental health professionals have stopped treating the Truly Mentally Ill because they have been discredited. Forget the gigantic aggregate of sociocultural forces that stigmatize mental illness every day. Let's blame the basic b*tches! The logic is so sound, I can't even hear it.

And by that, it sounds like you're...hm, let's see--putting down the people who exhibit symptoms of mental illness instead of holding society accountable for ableism and classism? Telling us who can and cannot talk about their mental illness?

By referring to people who had to self-diagnose due to mental health stigma, lack of proper healthcare, and many, many other oppressions, that they are "whoring out" their mental illness, you are perpetuating the stigma that makes it so hard to seek out treatment in the first place. While there are some people who do fake mental illness, whether it's part of an underlying factitious disorder or to get a prescription drug, there is absolutely no excuse for judging people who have to live with mental illness every single day.

Which brings me to your disclaimer:

"*DISCLAIMER* — This is in no way attacking those who cannot afford to see a doctor. That is a completely different situation."

Sorry Hannah, you've already made your poorly supported message clear as day: you refuse to see people with mental illness as human beings. You judge them for who they are based on their reaction to videos on Facebook instead of, oh I don't know, listening to them? Because while these videos may not be good diagnostic tools, they ensure that people with mental illness not alone in a world that only chooses to see them for what they should be, not for who they are or what they could be. That disclaimer does nothing to erase the impact you've made on over 386,000 people.

So whether you have a mental illness or not, I suggest that you take these videos and statuses very seriously. If you see a status or a video that seems out of the ordinary, try talking to the poster. Listen to them without judgment. Try understanding things from their point of view. Your actions and words have an impact, so try using them for good. Don't be a bully, be a friend. Be an ally.