#SignsImNotFeelingWell reveals the mundane realities of mental health
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#SignsImNotFeelingWell reveals the mundane realities of mental health

#SignsImNotFeelingWell provides some open and honest tweets.

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Alex Puente— | Last updated
BTW

Too often, the void anonymity of social media is used in nefarious ways. But once in a while, the openness of social media can be used for good. Such was the case on Monday when Twitter users started using #SignsImNotFeelingWell to be vocal about mental health.

Many of the tweets with the hashtag outlined habits and thoughts that befall people when they’re not feeling 100%. People used it as an opportunity to be open and honest about the signs of declining mental health.

“I isolate myself, sleep too little, take more naps, have an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach,” one user wrote.

It’s hardly the first time that users have talked about mental health awareness on Twitter. Last month, for example, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student Susanna Harris created the hashtag #PhDBalance. This was spurned by her experiences with depression as a Ph.D. student, and others chimed in.

#SignsImNotFeelingWell, in particular, emphasized the similarities and differences in how people experience mental health. Many users discussed symptoms like poor eating, irregular sleep, and lack of communication.

“I take an even longer shower than usual, probably because I fell asleep in there,” one user said.

Since it’s Twitter, many posts contained images and GIFs, but they didn’t downplay the seriousness of the issue.

“Me tearfully running around my house, spinning and making dramatic gestures, wrapped in a blanket, to the tune of hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have, but I have it,” a user wrote.

For many individuals, using humor provides an easier way to talk about their struggles. The tweets also proved to be a reminder that, no matter what you’re going, you aren’t alone.

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Alex Puente

Alex Puente

Alex is a recent graduate of the journalism school at the University of Texas at Austin. She has written for the Texas Observer, the Austin Chronicle, KUT, and ORANGE Magazine.

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