Why selfdiagnosing mental illness is destructive

MADE IN KC MARKETPLACE

306 W 47th St. Kansas City, MO 64112 Mon-Thurs. 8AM9PM Fri.-Sat. 8a.m.-10p.m. Sun. 10a.m.-6p.m.

NORMAL HUMAN

1815 McGee St. Kansas City, MO 64108 Friday and Saturday 11a.m.-7p.m.

WESTSIDE STOREY

(Photos by Catherine Crayon)

1701 Summit St., Kansas City, MO 64108 Thurs.-Sat. 10a.m.-7p.m. Sun. 10a.m.3p.m. Closed Monday

Keep Your Shopping Local

Shopping locally brings a personalized touch to your Christmas gifts.

BY CATHERINE CRAYON NEWS EDITOR

Amazon made $72.4 billion last Christmas. That’s billions on sending gifts around the world for people of all ages to receive. Has online shopping through mass corporation websites like Amazon taken the joy out of gift giving?

With the rise of Prime delivery drivers, those numbers are only projected to rise according to past revenue reports. These reports show a significant jump in revenue during the holiday season. The holiday season is just around the corner and gift giving is becoming a popular topic of conversation. Alongside those conversations, is the rise of massive money corporations, like Amazon, that take the joy out of gift giving. Local businesses are struggling to stay open while Amazon makes around $640 million a day. Despite the simplicity of online shopping, supporting local businesses gives power to the person and puts more thought into the gift.

Big businesses are also exposed to a greater amount of opportunities for advertising. Due to the mass marketing teams put together by these big money businesses, their outreach and advertisements are more professionally done and released on a broader spectrum.

Supporting the people and businesses that prosper in your city adds to your local economy. When you buy local, 48% of the profits go straight back into the community rather than the 13.6% that goes back from chain retailers, according to a study conducted by The American Independent Business Eligible. So when you shop locally it will go straight back to your community keep it thriving and healthy.

Putting thought into your gift and personalizing it for whoever is receiving it makes giving it even more special. Due to the mass marketing teams put together by these big money businesses, their outreach and advertisements are more professionally done and released on a broader spectrum.

There are so many places to shop and support around Kansas City that will in turn support your community. Made in KC Marketplace provides local artists to display and sell their works. Normal Human is an apparel and stationary store in downtown Kansas City with cute and affordable KC-inspired clothes. Westside Storey is the perfect place to buy your unconventional game day apparel. There are many different types of places so you can find something that fits with the personalities of each of your loved ones.

Despite the massive hype around online shopping, it’s important not to forget the local shops that will not only offer a unique and thoughtful Christmas gift, but will also support your local community.

Destructive Self-Diagnosing

Using the Internet to selfdiagnose mental health can lead patients down the wrong path.

BY KAITLIN LYMAN SPORTS EDITOR

It seems like every day when swiping through your social media you see a caption “I have so much homework I want to die” or “I hate my life.” While this may be a way to vent, mental health is more than just how you feel at the moment. An umbrella of stigma has been lingering overhead for so long that society now believes they know the warning signs of mental illnesses.

For many, it seems that finding time to meet with a doctor can be difficult due to limited availability or high costs. The practicality of finding a therapist who takes your specific insurance or has practical rates can be nearly impossible if you’re on a budget. Not to mention if you can find a therapist, chances are they don’t take new patients or there is a waiting list. Due to the circumstances, patients are tempted to take matters into their own hands, which builds towards the destructive decision of self-diagnosis.

Self-Diagnosing is the act of evaluating and diagnosing one’s physical or mental health based on information found online or past experiences. This can be dangerous for patients who surmise their illness and miss the fine distinction.

That high fever, cough and congestion most likely suggest a cold or flu that can be treated with overthe-counter drugs. But what about those constant mood swings, lack of energy and feelings of sadness? That calls for anti-depressants, right? Wrong. Patients must keep in mind that everyone’s mental health is different and is not just categorized by a few symptoms. For example, bipolar disorder, a chronic mental disorder has a wide range for every patient. One’s “up” period may last longer than another’s “down” period and vice versa. However, mood swings are not subjected to bipolar disorder, they are a part of other scenarios such as depression or borderline personality disorder.

Self-Diagnosis can also be dangerous when people gather up enough information online to the point where they’ve convinced themselves that their illness is real. This is a result of the placebo effect, anything that seems to be real but isn’t. With the placebo effect comes the danger of self-medication. As headaches can be treated with ibuprofen, psychiatric treatment is much more serious and in some instances, life-threatening if pursued without guidance from a trained psychologist. It can also be hurtful towards others who are actually suffering from an illness as patients can come off as naive or attention seekers. Don’t jump to conclusions and self-diagnose because the Internet gave convincing evidence. If you are really concerned with your symptoms schedule time to consult with a medical professional who can safely provide accurate information and guidance towards treatment. Searching for information can be helpful and informative but for the best possible outcome, it’s important to consult with a medical professional before pursuing a treatment.

I’ve had such a hard day, I think I’m depressed.

Same, I couldn’t stop bouncing my leg. I’m pretty sure it’s ADHD.

I cleaned my room for two hours today, I’m so OCD.