Because we should probably ALL be in therapy
So, after all this time, we are still in the midst of a pandemic. While introverts may have rejoiced at a foreseeable future of WFH and social distancing, it seems possible that C Who Shall Not Be Named could have as detrimental an effect on our mental wellbeing as our physical. For some, it's anxiety about contracting the virus at all; for others, it's the sudden lack of social contact and loss of routine. And even if neither of these apply to you right now, eventually they might.
It’s enough to send anyone straight to therapy, but (once you surmount the waiting lists) private therapy is costly and therapy courtesy of the NHS tends to be brief – and that was before the whole self-isolation thing even started – so what are you supposed to do in the meantime? Given the rise of accounts run by professional therapists, Instagram – traditionally a pantomime villain in the theatre of mental health – might actually provide an invaluable and immediate resource of therapeutic support to anyone who needs it.
If sending memes to friends offers humorous validation of their problems, content from therapy accounts offers serious validation. And while a meme will never go amiss, the latter are more like care packages to anyone who’s suffering. Of course Instagram will never be a substitute for therapy IRL, but it comes surprisingly close – and we could all do with a modicum of increased self-awareness in 2020, now more than ever.
In case the algorithm has yet to bless you: