Quote:

There was a time when teenagers simply copied the hairstyle of their favourite star to be cool. Now they put on the same mental health problems to keep trendy. A third of children have admitted faking a serious disorder to emulate celebrities, according to a survey. Phantom illnesses include eating disorders and depression. The youngsters claim they have been influenced by celebrities who speak openly about their problems – such as Kerry Katona, 30, who suffers from bipolar disorder, and Britney Spears. The study, for online therapy service Mentaline.com, questioned 1,192 British youngsters aged 12 to 17. It found one in ten thought mental illnesses were ‘trendy’ with half of those believing it made people ‘unique’. Some 16 per cent said celebrity sufferers had made mental conditions ‘fashionable’. TOP PHANTOM PROBLEMS Eating disorders 22 per cent Self harming 17 per cent Addiction 13 per cent Depression 12 per cent Bipolar disorder 9 per cent Jesper Buch, of Mentaline.com, described the findings as shocking. He said: ‘Mental illness is a sensitive topic, so to see that many teenagers are blase about the whole thing isn’t good at all. ‘Your teenage years should be spent enjoying life, not convincing people you have issues that should be taken extremely seriously.’ A recent government-commissioned review of mental health problems among children found one in ten, more than one million, now has a clinically recognisable disorder such as a depression or anorexia. This is a doubling since the 1970s. Mentaline uses webcams to connect users to psychologists, therapists and life coaches. Mr Buch added: ‘For those who do genuinely believe they have a problem, there are always people there to help. Talk to a professional, or, if you aren’t ready to take that step, simply discuss your problems with a friend or family member.’ The top five faked problems were: Eating disorders (22 per cent); self harming (17 per cent); addiction (13 per cent); depression (12 per cent); bipolar disorder (9 per cent).

Mind games: How celebrities have sparked alarming teenage trend for faking mental illness | Mail Online

Not sure if this is a real thing - it only seems to have been reported on unreliable/obscure sites and by Julie Burchill.

I really hope it is though - the warm buzz of schadenfreude I get when stuff I've been saying for years and which has made everyone think I'm a horrible, misanthropic person is proved by actual science is better than sex.

Adults do it too, but less because they're tired from work and have less time to dedicate to being drama queens.

__________________
Standard disclaimer: the disgusting statements contained in this post are the views of the poster, and unless specified do not represent the views of the moderators or the site's owners.

Quote:

The top five faked problems were: Eating disorders (22 per cent); self harming (17 per cent); addiction (13 per cent); depression (12 per cent); bipolar disorder (9 per cent).

I can see faking depression and bipolar but eating disorders, self harming tend to end up being real after a very short time.

F

__________________
"Patriotism means being loyal to your country all the time and to its government when it deserves it."-- Mark Twain

"Inter arma silent Musae"--when the weapons speak, the muses fall silent.

An't nanum hearm deth, doth hwaet ye willath.

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished
unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. -Voltaire

Economic Left/Right: -3.88
Authoritarian/Libertarian: -4.36

Yeah, I knew a couple of girls at school who used to cut themselves because it was cool. They didn't make a great job of it, tbh - they used the blades taken out of pencil sharpeners and you could barely see the result - we were hardly in Richey Manic territory.

I wish I'd thought of lending them one of my cooking knives (the huge one for chopping herbs, for instance - it would actually be less effective than say a paring knife but the totally excessive size has more comedy value) just to call their bluff.

__________________
Standard disclaimer: the disgusting statements contained in this post are the views of the poster, and unless specified do not represent the views of the moderators or the site's owners.

I think it does show serious commitment /a willful spirit to fake eating disorders and self harming...

__________________
Unless otherwise specified, I am posting as a regular poster. When I will act as a mod, I'll make sure you're in no doubt.

Hey, looking cool is srs business.

I'm not saying I'm not guilty of it as well - all of my personalities are artistic fictions designed to have a particular aesthetic effect too. I just think that fake neurosis is kind of... you know... naff. There's no originality or craftsmanship in there. It's like buying clothes that don't suit you just because you've been told they're in fashion.

__________________
Standard disclaimer: the disgusting statements contained in this post are the views of the poster, and unless specified do not represent the views of the moderators or the site's owners.

Quote:

all of my personalities are artistic fictions designed to have a particular aesthetic effect

And a very particular effect they have too

F

__________________
"Patriotism means being loyal to your country all the time and to its government when it deserves it."-- Mark Twain

"Inter arma silent Musae"--when the weapons speak, the muses fall silent.

An't nanum hearm deth, doth hwaet ye willath.

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished
unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. -Voltaire

Economic Left/Right: -3.88
Authoritarian/Libertarian: -4.36