Did TikTok Help to Destigmatize Mental Health and Therapy?

In high school, a school official caught me smoking cigarettes. I was with two friends in the parking lot a few weeks before the end of the school year. Three 17-year-olds in their final days on the bottom of the food chain; we were feeling invincible. A knock on the car window changed all of that.

The principal sent us home immediately. Our parents had to come pick us up. My sentence: Suspension from the volleyball team and three therapy sessions with the school social worker.

"Therapy?" I remember thinking. "This has to be the worst crime ever to get a punishment like that!" At the time, therapy meant scary. And I was scared.

But I now know this all happened for a reason. That handful of sessions with the school social worker ended up becoming my first positive experience with a therapist. It was the first time I was able to talk about what was going on in my head and some of the terrifying and confusing things I was experiencing at home without feeling judged or shamed.

We talked about everything, but barely touched on the topic of nicotine. I wasn’t even a smoker. The behavior was clearly a sign of a deeper issue. Already, she saw what I couldn’t yet see.

Like many therapists, I went to study psychology in college in an attempt to understand—and therefore work through—my own trauma by helping others. On the first day of class, a professor did an icebreaker. He asked my class to imagine the person who was available to support us during our worst situation, the one who helped us get through it so we could get to where we are. Then, he had us go around the room and talk about this person to break the ice between us.

I panicked. I couldn’t think of anyone. There was no one I could go to for support during my worst years in high school.

I was about to make an excuse to go to the bathroom and escape my turn in the hot seat when I remembered this social worker and our three sessions. I survived my turn at speaking and avoided the shame of running away.

But this one positive experience would not become the norm. My mental health continued to backslide all through college. I tried a therapist, but they were not trauma informed, and only made me feel horrible. No matter what I said, their advice was to ignore my feelings of shame and anger, and “leave the past behind.” This therapist was more than just a bad fit—they set me back in my mental health.

But I didn’t know this yet. I was still convinced I was the problem. I just needed to grow up. I was irritable and angry. I jumped from relationship to relationship, trying to patch the empty hole I carried with me. When that didn’t work, and the hole remained empty, I coped by eating—anything with sugar or salt to fill the emptiness I felt. Meanwhile, this therapist assured me my behaviors were “just a lack of willpower.”

But I knew not all therapists were invalidating because I had already met one who had been much more supportive: that high school social worker from years before. I decided I wanted to support survivors and provide a better experience for them than I was going through. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a therapist.

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Conversations around mental health have become less stigmatized in recent years

Conversations around mental health and trauma are essential to healing, and while we are starting to normalize them in society, there is still a lot of stigma around experiencing it in relationships or families. It’s almost as though we can admit to having trauma or mental health symptoms, but only as long as no one else was involved.

Therapy is generally considered less stigmatized now than in previous generations, but many groups still experience stigma, particularly those with marginalized identities such as LGBTQ or people of color^1,2,4.

In recent decades, there has been progress toward normalizing therapy and other forms of mental health care. Public awareness campaigns, advocacy efforts, and portrayals of therapy in media have helped shift the conversation about mental health.

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Social media has played a part in this de-stigmatization

Undoubtedly, social media has likely played a large part in this, with many therapists noticing that younger generations are coming in more aware of mental health issues and more open to seeking help¹.

Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter have allowed mental health professionals to directly engage with a broad audience, providing a platform for individuals to openly discuss their experiences with mental health challenges. Through personal stories, informative videos, and expert advice, social media has helped normalize conversations about conditions like anxiety, depression, and ADHD, making it easier for people to acknowledge their struggles without fear of judgment¹. As a result of this increased openness, therapy has become more normalized, especially among younger people, who now often see it as an essential tool for emotional well-being rather than something to be ashamed of¹.

However, while the stigma surrounding therapy has lessened, some challenges remain, particularly in certain communities or among individuals who may experience biases and discrimination in healthcare². Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are more openly discussed, but therapy, particularly for issues like trauma, addiction, or family dynamics, can still carry stigma in some circles^2,3.

I believe that many people unknowingly suffer from trauma wounds and unmet needs. However, in a world that inundates us with violence and traumatic events, sometimes results of this trauma can be harder to detect due to being desensitized. This gives us an idea of what might be contributing to the cycle of unhealed trauma, at least in part.

I hope that we can continue to move towards conversations are not about blame (but that allow blame where it is due), but about making space for everyone to recognize and build awareness.

Excerpted, in part, from my book Breaking the Cycle: The 6 Stages of Healing from Childhood Family Trauma.

To find a therapist who understands family trauma and relational abuse, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.