As you might have noticed, I’ve been writing about bipolar and mental illness for a really long time. Seven years in internet time is a lifetime or so.

I Write About and Research Mental Illness

And in all that time, in addition to the writing, I’ve been reading, or more commonly, researching, mental illness. I’ve been looking up information on mental disorders, psychiatric medications, mental illness treatments, supplements, and everything else of which you can think. This is because I like to be educated about my bipolar disorder, healthcare, and treatments. I often share researched information with my readers because I think others should be educated about mental illness too. I strive to make anything I write accurate and provide links to reputable information sources.

Who Do You Trust for Mental Illness Information?

But what information should you trust? Who should you trust for mental health information? Should you trust me, a random blogger? People on discussion groups? Information sites? Drug company sites? Doctor sites?

Almost always, no.

Here are a few ideas about trusting information online:

Do not make any decisions about your mental health or treatment without talking to a real, live doctor in person. Period. You can take all the self-assessment questionnaires you want, but you can’t pick a mental illness treatment or a diagnosis without the help of a professional. These tools can help you bring information to your doctor, but nothing is a substitution for a real professional.
If you can’t check out a person’s credentials, don’t trust them. Anyone can claim to be a psychiatrist, nurse, or have a Ph.D., but that doesn’t mean they aren’t actually a teenage, mosquito trainer practicing pirouettes in a tent in rural Lesotho (although they’re probably not). If someone is offering you professional health advice, they should have no problem supplying their credentials. One of the reasons I love Jim Phelps’ site is the fact he is forthright about who he is, and how he’s funded.
Check how a healthcare site is funded. If a site doesn’t tell you who’s supporting it, who’s funding it, and where the information comes from don’t trust them. As a general rule, sites funded by drug companies or special interest groups should be treated with extreme suspicion. Special interest groups can include religious groups and even some charities. While they may have good intentions it’s likely their information is slanted and partial.
If there are no links to actual data or research studies approach with extreme caution. I could be a doctor making the claim carrots cure depression, and that might be a very appealing claim to a lot of people as anyone can buy carrots. I can even say, “I’ve seen it work over and over,” but if I can’t back that up with real scientific data, then the claim holds no water. (That being said, there’s no harm in asking your real-life doctor about even questionable mental health treatments, if you’re interested. That’s what they’re paid for.)
Any referenced study must be published in a reputable journal. Psychology Today is a magazine not a journal, the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology is a reputable journal. Real studies are listed here and are published in peer-reviewed journals. Also, in reputable studies, any conflicts of interest must be disclosed. Implications from research can be confusing so print out the study and ask your doctor about it. Some groups are really good at making information look authentic but if it wasn’t published in a reputable peer-reviewed journal, it’s not to be trusted.

I have to stress, there are many medical sites out there that are trying to sell you a product or idea. Please keep in mind there are some groups that are very antipsychiatry and anti-medication and try to push that agenda. They masquerade as self-help sites, discussion groups, individuals on discussion groups, and drug rehabilitation/addiction sites. There are people pushing products that use the same techniques.

Be Skeptical About Mental Health Information Sources

Be skeptical. If the information doesn’t sound right, ask a professional. Please don’t let random online weirdos make choices for you or influence how you feel about yourself and your mental disorder. You’re better than that.

[And just for the record, I don’t portend to be anyone other than a mouthy bipolar writer with a lot of tears, screams, and things to say. I’m pretty smart and try to help people, but that’s about it.]