Do you think you're 'depressed' or 'anxious'? We speak to mental health professionals about self-diagnosis

To mark World Mental Health Day on Oct 10, AsiaOne shines the spotlight on mental health advocates and looks at how Singaporeans cope with mental health issues in their lives.

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Feeling anxious is different for everyone.

Some of us might have trouble sleeping or concentrating, others might experience heart palpitations. 

So we head online in search of answers and realise what we're experiencing happens to match symptoms of an anxiety disorder.

But where exactly is the line where anxiety, a normal human emotion, becomes an anxiety disorder, a clinical issue?

Do we use words like "anxious" or "depressed" too casually as adjectives when describing our emotions?

AsiaOne spoke to two mental health professionals, James Chong and Gwendolyn Tui, about individuals heading online for answers regarding their mental health, resulting in the misuse of clinical terms in daily speech and in self-diagnosis.

How is this relevant to us?

Issues surrounding mental health is particularly pertinent to Singapore, if results from recent studies are anything to go by.

A 2023 research by international consulting firm Ipsos found that Singaporeans place mental health as the biggest health concern facing the country, above cancer and diabetes.

Zooming in on youths in Singapore, things look grim as a significant proportion have reported experiencing severe or very severe symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress in a nationwide survey by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) last month.

Almost one in three young people, aged 15 to 35, surveyed reported symptoms that include feeling empty, tense or upset most of the time.

And in the digital age, what would most of us do when in need of immediate solutions? Head online, of course.

While the online world provides a rich source of mental health data, relying on online resources could do more harm than good to a struggling individual.

In a 2022 interview with National Council of Social Service, Dr Lee Cheng, Senior Consultant and Clinical Director of the Office of Population Health at IMH, mentioned that having symptoms does not necessarily equate to said person having a psychiatric diagnosis.

He explained that self-screening tools online may be useful guides but it "cannot substitute a clinical consultation".

Unaware of this distinction, individuals may fall into the trap of self-diagnosis, and in an interview with AsiaOne, professional counsellor Gwendolyn Tui noted that such a behaviour can lead to a rise in clinical terms being used as adjectives in daily conversation.

The 42-year-old added: "When we use these terms so easily, it dilutes the seriousness of the mental health conditions."

Words have weight

Step one is to fully understand these terms.

Take depression as an example.

While it is often understood as someone feeling down or sad, James Chong, clinical director and co-founder of counselling and psychotherapy centre The Lion Mind, challenges us to widen our scope.

"Depression is a persistent mood disorder, categorised by a lack of interest in activities, low energy, feeling sadness or hopelessness, change in sleep patterns, appetite and even concentration during school or work," he said.

The keyword here is "persistent" and the same goes for anxiety.

Gwendolyn explained that anxiety should be classified as "normal" emotions.

It becomes a disorder when the fear and anxiousness becomes "excessive, persistent and irrational" and it begins to affect one's way of living, ability to cope with work or relationships with people.

What the two mental health professionals finds troubling is the casual use of these clinical terms in everyday speech.

Chances are that we (yes, me included) have been guilty of blurting something like this before.

"I've got so many meetings today, it's making me depressed."

"I literally had a panic attack earlier."

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According to James, people might use mental illnesses as adjectives as a quirky manner to "put emphasis" when describing their emotions.

Despite its supposedly innocent and self-deprecating intentions, integrating these clinical terms into everyday language should not be encouraged.

Not only does it dilute the severity of these mental health conditions, it is invalidating to those who truly experience these conditions.

Gwendolyn urges us to take a more tactful approach instead.

"When we are so used to speaking in a certain way, it's easy to forget our surroundings and people around us.

"We often do not know the battles others are in," she said.

Psychology Today, an online media focusing on psychology and human behaviour, backs this point, claiming that mental illness is "less quantifiable and more qualitative in nature" compared to its physical counterparts.

The invisibility of mental health makes it harder to understand.

Is there not an argument that many of us are simply underqualified when it comes to self-diagnosis?

Dangers of self-diagnosis

Both medical professionals brought up misdiagnosing oneself as a major issue when heading online in search of answers.

Symptoms may become overmedicalised or misinterpreted, which could influence, albeit subconsciously, one's behavioural patterns.

"You start ticking all the checkboxes on your own [and] self-diagnose, and you make yourself live like one or you attribute a lot of life's challenges because of it," Gwendolyn explains.

There's also the possibility that one may come across contradicting information online.

Not only is this a labourious process, she notes that individuals often find themselves "scrolling with a lot of anxiety".

James provides a separate concern that could crop up — delaying professional care.

"Some will believe they have mental health issues and this is frowned upon in their immediate social circle. Because of that, they don't seek professional help," he said.

Awareness is great but now what?

Turning to Google for answers isn't the "wrong" call, though. 

The wealth of information online, be it mental health resources or platforms, can be helpful to those struggling with their mental health.

Also, the progress in the destigmatisation of the mental health on a societal level can only be seen as a positive.

As recent as February this year, then Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong gave a speech where he noted the attitude change among Singaporeans when it comes to a willingness to talk openly about mental health.

Gwendolyn says that this rise in mental health awareness has yet to be matched with a rise in mental health literacy, which is also important.

Knowing more is one thing, but how do we use said information?

According to The Lion Mind, mental health literacy can empower individuals to make informed decisions about their mental well-being and others around them.

This is because they already have the ability to recognise, understand and effectively respond to mental health issues.

On a more individual level, the mental health professionals urged those who seek help online to always look for information from credible sources.

A key tip is to double check your sources and consider online content from mental healthcare professionals or centres.

"Seek professional help and don't delay. At times, we do need medication and that can only come from the psychiatrist," Gwendolyn said.

ALSO READ: Too young to feel burned out? Gen Zs in Singapore the most stressed, survey finds

amierul@asiaone.com