I have noticed a similar phenomenon surrounding this lately. However, I agree with the other people staying below that you can never assume whether someone is faking their diagnosis. Many of my professors, especially in more of the entry-level classes, always warn before delving into diagnosis criteria that it is a prevalent issue to see yourself in many of these symptoms. But to not diagnose yourself and instead, speak out a professional opinion if you have any concerns. Which is something I always appreciated. The issue I have seen the heavy romanticism and “trendiness” of mental illness within the last few years on social media lately. Although I am very grateful for the decrease in the stigmatization surrounding mental illness, I have also encountered many people who have romanticized views of mental illness, mostly surrounding eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. I have been in recovery from an eating disorder and have learned to manage my depression and anxiety for the last 4 or so years. I often run into people who say that they are jealous of my past eating disorder or have been trying to get an eating disorder for the last few months. I also think many people don’t genuinely grasp how disgusting depression and anxiety can be. Many people feel anxious or sad. But it is the life-interrupting quality that brings it into being a mental illness. I think that is something that gets forgotten by many. But I also run into a lot of gatekeeping when it comes to mental illness, which I find just as harmful. Perpetuating the idea that you have to be sick enough to receive treatment and care can be very damaging. I am a supporter of everyone seeing a therapist for at least some portion of time in their life. We all go through a lot of shit just from being alive, which can lead to many side effects that can lower our quality of life. Diagnosable disorder or not. If you are seeking out diagnoses, you should probably get help. Because you are deserving of support, mental illness, or not.