Megan Jayne Crabbe on social media: ‘It’s a sharp double-edged sword’

Spread the love

Megan Jayne Crabbe wants people to speak candidly about their mental health (Picture: Supplied)

‘Full disclosure: I’m quite happy I’m doing an interview about mental health when I’ve had a pretty crappy mental health week,’ Megan Jayne Crabbe begins her interview with Metro.co.uk.

We wouldn’t expect anything less than bold and outright candour from the 29-year-old author, content creator and presenter, who has spent the vast majority of her career speaking honestly about her eating disorders, mental health struggles and subsequent recovery.

Gathering a large following as the BodyPosiPanda, Megan, who uses her platforms to preach self love and acceptance to her 1.2 million followers, is a supporter of Samaritans and has teamed up with the charity for World Suicide Prevention Day to help let everyone know it’s okay to ask about suicidal thoughts, as it could save a life. 

‘Talking therapy saved my life,’ she explains. ‘I’m lucky that my family have always listened. My dad in particular, whenever I’m going through something, whenever things feel dark and I can’t find my way through them, he’s always the first person to turn up at my door unannounced and say we’re going on a walk, let’s talk about it. He’s a brilliant active listener.

‘Those talks have gotten me through some times I didn’t think I was going to get through.’

Megan admits she feels somewhat privileged to have a support system to catch her when she is low, and that for some people, there is still a stigma about being quite so candid with their frame of mind.

‘The biggest fear about opening up about mental health is that someone won’t understand and they’re going to suggest that it’s just your fault,’ she says. ‘But people don’t have to understand exactly what you’re going through in order to support you. They just need to have an open mind and an open heart and be willing to listen.  

‘The right person will never make you feel like you’re the problem.’

‘A lot of people don’t want to address [suicide] head on,’ Megan continues. ‘Even if you don’t feel you can ask someone “are you suicidal?”, it’s important to get to the bottom of how people feel about being alive and their life. There’s a whole range of steps before feeling suicidal and catching someone before they’re at their lowest ebb. That’s essential.’

See also  Instagram Tests Out Location Tags in Notes
Megan wants people to speak out about their mental health (Picture: Supplied)

Megan adds that this is why she feels it’s so important that she speaks openly on her social media platforms, particularly on Instagram.

‘My goal is to bringing positivity, light and wholeness to a platform which is very good at reducing human beings to one dimensional characters,’ she explains. ‘It can be incredibly powerful to post something honestly describing how you’re feeling, and it can reach and be seen by someone who also has experienced that feeling, or is feeling low too. It stops people feeling so alone.’

That’s not to say Megan is ignorant to the many flaws with social media, and the huge impact it can have on our mental health. 

With many platforms linked to causing and exacerbating depression, anxiety and loneliness, Samaritans have created a hub of online safety resources which help people to stay safe online when posting or viewing content relating to self-harm and suicide.

‘I think social media is a very sharp double-edged sword,’ Megan says. ‘These days, it has become a very overwhelming place for a lot of people. There is sometimes too much going on there and I don’t think our brains are equipped to handle the sheer amount of information, opinions and trauma that is so readily available.

‘As much as there is a responsibility on influencers in what they post, they are still individuals figuring their way through this system and game which is rigged to reward people who promote perfection, filters and pretending everything is okay and shiny and fantastic.

‘The onus is on those who created the platforms and the algorithms which reward extremity in all its forms. It rewards outrage and perfection and it doesn’t hold nuance very well. They show us the things that grab our attention for the longest, and those things are always the most extreme. What gets flattened are the people behind the Insta grids.

‘We could all do with platforms that equally support the grey area and don’t constantly push things that promote an unhealthy view of other people and the world around us.’

See also  Meta Outlines its Approach to Brand and User Safety with New Mini-Site



World Suicide Prevention Day 2022

For this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day, Metro.co.uk have teamed up with Samaritans to share stories and awareness.

As the UK’s leading suicide prevention charity, their aim is to encourage people not to be afraid to talk about suicidal thoughts and feelings if they are worried about someone.

‘Suicide can be seen as a taboo subject, so it is important people know it is OK to ask things like, “are you feeling suicidal?” as it helps the topic of suicide enter conversations more,’ says Samaritans CEO Julie Bentley.

Research has shown that asking someone if they’re suicidal won’t make things worse – it could even protect them. You can find advice and support on how to start a conversation about suicidal thoughts here.

Anyone can contact Samaritans, free, 24/7, 365 days a year, on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org.  

However, Megan does praise the internet for fostering a sense of togetherness, particularly for individuals who were already feeling isolated.

‘It can feel like a community,’ she says. ‘That’s a beautiful thing as someone who grew up in a small town with not much of my own experience reflected back at me. It can be incredibly powerful.’

While Megan does urge her followers to practise self-love, she knows that, like most things, this is easier said than done.

‘It’s a practise that will sometimes go against every one of your instincts,’ she explains. ‘There will be days where we turn to self-punishment and old thought patterns about not being good enough or your brain will tell you, you don’t deserve good things.’ 

However, Megan believes that persistence is key: ‘The only way is to keep practising it even when you don’t believe you deserve it,’ she says.

‘Even if you have to pretend that you’re someone else you love who deserves good things. I don’t always get it right – I fall back into old patterns as well. But ultimately, we’re all just doing our best and we all deserve to be on our own side in a world where it can constantly feel we’re coming up against things that are bad for us. We can at least be on our own side through it all.’

See also  Global Internet Access and Usage [Infographic]

And in those moments when you’re having a particularly difficult mental health week, it’s important to remember that there is help out there, adds Megan.

‘Mental health issues can be so disconnecting and isolating. The only way to prove that wrong is to open up and to connect to the world, to things you love, to nature, to things that make life worth living,’ she explains.

‘It’s the only way when your brain is telling you you’re completely alone – as you never are.’

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Kimberley.Bond@metro.co.uk 

Share your views in the comments below.


MORE : New app for veterans as nearly half of ex-soldiers calling Samaritans reveal suicidal thoughts


MORE : Robots could help children with their mental wellbeing, study suggests


MORE : Love Island winner Amber Gill admits social media fame triggered mental health battle: ‘I really couldn’t see a way out’

window.fbApi = (function () {
var fbApiInit = false;
var awaitingReady = [];

var notifyQ = function () {
var i = 0,
l = awaitingReady.length;
for (i = 0; i < l; i++) {
awaitingReady[i]();
}
};

var ready = function (cb) {
if (fbApiInit) {
cb();
} else {
awaitingReady.push(cb);
}
};

var checkLoaded = function () {
return fbApiInit;
};

window.fbAsyncInit = function () {
FB.init({
appId: '176908729004638',
xfbml: true,
version: 'v2.10'
});

fbApiInit = true;
notifyQ();
};

return {
'ready' : ready,
'loaded' : checkLoaded
};

})();

(function () {
function injectFBSDK() {
if ( window.fbApi && window.fbApi.loaded() ) return;

var d = document,
s="script",
id = 'facebook-jssdk';
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) {
return;
}
js = d.createElement(s);
js.id = id;
js.async = true;
js.src = "https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}

if (window.metro) {
window.addEventListener('scroll', injectFBSDK, {once: true, passive: true});
} else {
window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', injectFBSDK, {once: true});
}
})();

Source link

Neon-lit text graphic reading "social schmuck" with a retro style.
Website | + posts
  • Related Posts

    Java Burn Review – Drink coffee and lose weight

    Spread the love

    Spread the loveJava Burn Review This revolutionary dietary supplement, designed to turbocharge your coffee routine, sets a new weight loss and fat-burning standard. With a carefully selected blend of all-natural…

    Read more

    Fix Outdated Graphics Card Driver in Delta Force Easily

    Spread the love

    Spread the love Delta Force is an exhilarating, free-to-play first-person shooter (FPS) game that immerses players in a vibrant, dynamic world filled with upgraded weapons and diverse challenges. The gameplay…

    Read more

    You Missed

    Java Burn Review – Drink coffee and lose weight

    Java Burn Review – Drink coffee and lose weight

    Fix Outdated Graphics Card Driver in Delta Force Easily

    Fix Outdated Graphics Card Driver in Delta Force Easily

    Murder Suspect Handled Gun Expertly, Claims Ex-FBI Agent

    Murder Suspect Handled Gun Expertly, Claims Ex-FBI Agent

    California’s Confusing Tsunami Warning Explained

    California’s Confusing Tsunami Warning Explained

    Individual Post Analytics for Threads Testing

    Individual Post Analytics for Threads Testing

    Crypto News Video Code for Blum – December 6 Updates

    Crypto News Video Code for Blum – December 6 Updates

    Jason Alan Thornburg Sentenced for Grotesque Human Sacrifices

    Jason Alan Thornburg Sentenced for Grotesque Human Sacrifices

    US Ban on TikTok Looms as Judges Reject Appeal

    US Ban on TikTok Looms as Judges Reject Appeal

    AI Data Center Expansions by Meta and X Unveiled

    AI Data Center Expansions by Meta and X Unveiled

    Top-Selling Electric Hand Warmers for Holiday Gifts at $12.50

    Top-Selling Electric Hand Warmers for Holiday Gifts at $12.50

    java burn weight loss with coffee

    This will close in 0 seconds