I don't have depersonalisation and I don't have depression. I completely understand why you're sharing this stuff bc I do the same when I'm lonely and sad and feeling depressed. I don't know if sharing it all online is helping me or not but when I feel better I regret it a lot, especially when ppl ask me about it later. I feel like a lot of other people probably do the same and I think it would be best for a lot of your audience and yourself if we all made a promise to avoid social media when we're at our worst and instead talk to ppl we are close with. Maybe even for a month, just to see how it works out. Obviously it will be easier for some ppl and harder for others but it would help us all I think. ❤ love u girly and I hope that things get better and the good starts to overweigh the bad both irl and in ur head


its quite odd for me. i didn't know (somehow??) that you had a snapchat until a week ago. i added you and was kind of suprised to see the first story i'd watch of your's was about lying in the same spot for hours. it felt nice to hear and sad to hear. i like that you are honest and it does feel more personal when you share how you feel. i know you'd want that for us all, so when it comes from you as well, i feel like we know each other, though we do not.

but on the other hand, seeing so vividly your hurt, made me ache a little. i'm okay with that, because i am in a pretty good place right now. but, others aren't. they watch your stories because they love you... but they don't know all they might see. and that's a risk they take, however, if you didn't put such depictions out there, there'd be no risk to take. so for those in low places, in valleys and not on summits, it's unhealthy.

and yes, i have been hesitating to click your story; i think we all might be. talk to your friends, dodie. even make new ones you can have a blank slate with. there will always be kind people to carry off a little of your darkness on their back. but, for those who already have a pitch black sky on theirs, adding to it just might engulf them before the sun comes up.


Dodie I'm in exactly the same place with sharing I seem to have a found balance recently (or at least aimed to do this). Writing blog posts only when I'm in a better place. And i still do Instagram posts. But I'm trying to stop the snapchats and tweets because I feel like they feel more temporary / less important. I don't know if that would help for you but I hope this helps xxxx


Hi doddlevloggle. I love you v much and I relate to this video so so so much. Most of the stupid little songs I write are about feeling crappy or saying goodbye to a very important person to me. I've been diagnosed with stuff and I'm forced to go to a lot of evaluation and shit and I hate dealing with it. I used to write stuff on my computer but my school basically stalked it and printed it out to someone in the school office and some lady wanted to send me to a mental institution in another town. I hate living but I love you thanks for making me feel like not the only one


Regarding the mentally ill and creative jobs discussion, another important part is also that it's quite difficult to uphold a regular, 9-5 job when you suffer from mental illness, because it's unpridictable, some days you feel okay and some you feel shit and can't work. If you have a creative job you can usually choose your own hours and days to work.


Your Snapchat helps because personally I feel less alone in how I'm feeling, but it also kind of brings back emotions that went away. I was far more not ok (I'm not really sure how to say it) but it kind of brings up old emotions that I worked past. I'd say filter it a little bit, but don't be scared to share how your feeling.


Can we talk about how the length of this video is symmetrical (10:01)


You've got to be very careful when you have an audience (especially of young people) that you don't romanticise it.


People are too sensitive Dodie, you say and do what you want. This is coming from a person with depression


I suppose I understand a bit where a lot of you are coming from, but honestly I do not at all agree that she's "totally oversharing". Dodie speaking out about her mental health and "oversharing" is not only important for those who may need help dealing with their own struggles but it's also so important for Dodie. Making these videos and talking out her feelings is obviously extremely important to her because once her thoughts are no longer thoughts and her feelings are verbalized it helps her put everything into perspective and sort of work from there. Her videos do not at all make me sad or uncomfortable to watch like I've seen some of you have been saying and I think that her showing that even an icon of positivity has rough times is extremely real and important. If they make you feel sad or upset then I get that you may want to distance yourself a bit, but at least for me I see it as an opportunity to unite as a group and spread positivity to Dodie and to others who are going through similar situations. Dodie deserves support and love and I feel that if you see what she's going through and have an empathetic mindset you should try to give it to her!! I do agree that at times Dodie does post more personal things on Snapchat like her direct unfiltered thoughts that are sort of things that would be healthier for her to share with her friends or family but at the same time when you're dealing with depression it's hard to remember that your friends and family are so close so you reach out to other sources in order to not feel like a burden. I hope this helped to put things into an understandable light.


Hey Dodie! While it is healthy to talk about mental health with people you trust, it can get unhealthy to start over sharing on social media. Stuff that you post is forever, and it can keep you in that negative mindset for longer because what you've said is constantly surrounding you on YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. On another note, people have a tendency to self-diagnose. Someone might see your posts and think that they have depersonalization or depression when they really don't and they get themselves in a rut that's really hard to get out of. My best advice for you is to force yourself to talk to someone. If you're like me and prefer emotional support instead of advice, let them know that before you start talking. I talked to my parents when my mental health was at an all time low and made the decision to go to therapy. It was one of the best decisions of my life.


i feel like, yeah, sometimes you do overshare, and maybe it's a bit too much for the audience to see sometimes, but i feel like u sharing, just keeping us updated and in loop of what u might be feeling, in general just makes us feel closer to you??? if u get me? like idk if u like that people who u don't know feel close to u, but i think it's just nice because it lets us get to know u a bit better than just "dodie clark" "singer" "content creator on youtube" and i kinda like that idk


for me, I prefer a general post/tweet/something that anyone could see because that way there's no pressure on any one person to respond if they don't have energy, whereas if I message a friend (especially one who has their own mental health stuff) they might have absolutely no energy to talk to me but will drop all their OWN healing and care to help me.<br>if I tweet then people who are in an okay place can reach out and those who aren't can carry on focusing on themself

for me, I prefer a general post/tweet/something that anyone could see because that way there's no pressure on any one person to respond if they don't have energy, whereas if I message a friend (especially one who has their own mental health stuff) they might have absolutely no energy to talk to me but will drop all their OWN healing and care to help me.
if I tweet then people who are in an okay place can reach out and those who aren't can carry on focusing on themself


I loVe dodie sharing her fealings on snapchat because i think it helps me, someone who has never suffered from a mental health problems, understand more about them.


I think that the important part of your instagram is that you also discuss what you do to pursue recovery. Your posts about trying antidepressants and about how your friends help with your issues / vice versa are beneficial;; seeing your adventures with trying to accommodate mental health issues while traveling and pursuing ambitions has made me feel so much less alone. I do think that you need to make sure to filter some things...

What I've seen in the video and what I agree with is that videos and posts should be sent after the event or episode. Like-- you should recover from an anxiety attack before you talk about it because then viewers are seeing that it ended and you got through it and that's what you want to show. And it's what YOU want to see. When you log in and look at your own videos-- as I'm sure you do-- months from when you post them. It becomes your support system; when you're in the middle of a low point you can look back on a time you got through a low moment. But if you only log when you're low or high you begin to see life as that black and white and that can be dangerous.

Speaking as someone with many younger friends with mental health issues, I personally try to show only issues I am getting through. If I need something specific I might say "could someone help me ground myself", but I'd never say "I can't ground myself" because that just creates this hopelessness....

Try to blog / post about accommodation and recovery of mental illness. It reminds you and everyone else that you have recovered from things in the past and any issue you're facing now is something you can get through. You're making huge steps--
- trying medication to see if it's a good fit for you
-listening to your friends' advice and reflecting back on it
-keeping up with doing what you love and traveling
- keeping track of ups and downs and being honest with yourself

You have to give yourself credit for these things. And you have to place more importance on handling and dealing with mental health than you do on suffering from it, even if you're struggling, because success builds on success and hopelessness builds on hopelessness.


2 years late but here's my own take, largely compiled from other people. Mental illness and creativity are connected but only for those who vent/draw inspiration. Getting your feelings out is important but at a certain point you're feeding into your own desire for validation and bad mental health. I don't think dodie is trying to romanticize her struggle but when all you post is highlights and mental breakdowns it all blurs together.


I just remembered this video... I have it saved now, I think I need to hear these things more often, like, A LOT more often


Please don't go the other way after seeing people's reaction to your use of social media. There have been too many times when people around me have gone into themselves and only shared the good when they are in a world of pain. You will find a healthy balance. It's unfortunate in a way that you do have such a large social media following and have to think about yourself as a brand but that's kind of what it's like. I'm definitely not saying that this backlash is your fault in any way because you are well known, just that you do unfortunately have a responsibility to protect your fans, especially younger fans, from triggering and unhealthy themes. Please know that you are loved and that your wonderful, supportive friends are always there ❤


I enjoy you sharing this side so much your so much more raw than most and I enjoy how much I relate


you're so beautiful, i wish i could meet you in person and give you the longest hug possible.<br>good night (or morning or noon) to everyone reading this, you are worthy x

you're so beautiful, i wish i could meet you in person and give you the longest hug possible.
good night (or morning or noon) to everyone reading this, you are worthy x


was i just laughing at dans video?
yes
did i come over here knowing just by the title that im gonna be sad and existential?
also yes

im fine, doods we love you very dearly, hazel you as well and i honestly wish peace upon you more than anybody else i know and thank you for the discussion.


I hope  you will always have sb who care and support you even if you are in a bad mood. 💕 Friends are often helpful even when they are just sitting next to you and listening bc you are not alone!


I understand that it might be too much for some people but it can also help so many people. I wish i had seen those snap chats because sometimes it does get hard and its nice to know that other people feel the same way and it almost feels like they are here with you, helping you


To our dear friend Dodie,
I really felt moved to comment on this because I think it is important to talk about things like this.
I don't think you are oversharing Dodie. What frustrates me is that when people talk about mental health from a neutral or 'upbeat' state of mind, it is easy to talk about and no one has a hard time. Why does it become a problem when people are ACTUALLY suffering? That is when we need to be there for people, to listen, love, and learn. I have friends who have anxiety and depression, and we will talk for hours until they feel calmer, lighter, or freer. I care about the people in my life, and I want them to have someone they can always talk to. I have gotten those 4 a.m. calls before, and I answer every single one.
If you are worried about triggering other people, perhaps a visual or verbal cue may help. That way people can avoid the post if they are not in a good mental state to do so. Obviously, people will come and help you, but you don't want to draw in people who can't handle it. Should some posts be age-restricted so that it doesn't reach a younger audience? I am not saying we should not talk to younger people about mental health (we definitely should), but perhaps it should be done from a better frame of mind at first?
Depression, derealization, and anxiety are all real things and they need to be shared as much as people need people to help them through those tough times. Life is not all sunshine and roses, and we need to know when people are hurting so we can help them through. What makes me the saddest is when people shut me out emotionally. I want to help, be there, listen, and do what I can to aid in recovery because I care about people. Reaching out for help is not weak, not selfish, and shows great strength. We love you Dodie, and we want to be there for you!
Feel free to share with us because what you feel is real and so is how we feel about you! If it helps you through a difficult time, I encourage you sharing. Perhaps just warn your audience first!
Love from the United States East Coast (Connecticut),
Andrew :) <3


<b>People must think I'm a maniac because I have a ton of recordings on my phone of me just venting and spewing out all of my emotions. I agree, it's way easier to talk to a camera than to talk to people face to face because then there's room left for judgement or feedback in general. No, I am not fed up with all of these mental health videos because it makes me feel less alone. So thank you Dodie and Hazel for "over sharing". x</b> 😊

*People must think I'm a maniac because I have a ton of recordings on my phone of me just venting and spewing out all of my emotions. I agree, it's way easier to talk to a camera than to talk to people face to face because then there's room left for judgement or feedback in general. No, I am not fed up with all of these mental health videos because it makes me feel less alone. So thank you Dodie and Hazel for "over sharing". x* 😊

Julie H. How sweet☺ I really appreciate this comment x I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day too !

Bella Pearce - Hi, I hope everything's okay for you. Have a wonderful day! x


Around 3:50 I realise an alternate to therapy 2 times a week- talking to a camera is easier just going BLEH, but just keeping it on your phone so you see how you feel and what your triggers are. Or even how you got out of it


Dodie,

When you said you were pouring things out and wanting to have someone comforting you.
I thought of myself
I ask for the impossible
Just know I'm younger than you. And watching you pour your heart out makes me have this warm feeling inside. Like I am being comforted and that someone understands my anxiety.
Dodie Clark, You. Are. My. Idol. I look up to you. You are amazing!
~Another person in a sea of of other persons


this helped?? even though it was heavily pessimistic, it was also raw and honest. Thank you so much


I have watched a fair few of your videos. So many are very emotional to the point when I see the thumbnails come up I can’t re watch because I know they will make me cry. I am very emotional and empathetic. I feel your pain, it seers into my heart.


I love you so much I came out with you I found out I had depression with you and I recovered from suiside with you and i thank you so so much. Btw my name is Alice ;)


when she said "we should probably end on a positive note" i was so surprised because i had no idea it has already been 9 minutes


I was bedbound for 5 years during my teens and I developed depression because of it. I didn't realise I had depression but my paediatrician recognised it and described depression as effectively overthinking. Letting your thoughts gain extreme power and focusing on them too much. You get dragged into a cycle of overthinking, and if your thoughts are mostly negative or fearful it can really effect your brain chemistry. To help regain some balance (as well as getting professional help and taking medication) it can help to do things that don't involve much thought or emotion. Physical things like baking, gardening, washing dishes, going for a walk, etc. You may have to force yourself to do it and it's likely you won't feel great when you do the things but keep doing them, more and more. You are more than your thoughts. They don't control you.


I strongly believe that your youtube videos are perfecty fine the way that they are. They ave helped my so much thorugh their honestly and relateablitly. I do not believe that they are too depressing or making me feel negative in any way. Other social medias, well you know you should maybe kick it down a notch, but that doesnt mean what have been posting isnt okay or harmful. We don't want you to feel bad for saying the things you have said about mental illness because they were feelings shared and its okay. I really hope that you don't feel like you have had a negative effect on your audience and that you feel guitly now because thats how you coped with it for the time being and now you realize there could be better ways and that just may not have been the best, but it is okay. Please continue to talk and make awareness of it, even in detail, but don't drown yourself ir your art in it lovely <3


Maybe there's just a huge difference between asking for help and crying from not having help. Even if you share something personal online, there are people who want to support you. You already said it, you've gained a huge audience and you can show how you're not better then us and how we all deal with something uncomfortable, but that's the point where you have to decide, am I posting that because it's a way for me to talk to these people who experienced similar stuff, or is it just my own unhealthy way to get it out of the system. I would prefer you to do the first, no matter if 'You' are Dodie or just someone in such a position, cause yes, there are people here to support you and if you want to share you're problems online, which is completely okay, be open for help and try to be the person of help. That's just one wonderful thing you can reach online, let yourself and others explore the help of strangers, because yeah, we all go through similar struggles.


the first thing I want to do when I feel down is so post on social media so I totally understand!! and ok me feels totally different about it than unhappy me!!

why not a sad Dodie account?? you can have an outlet for emotions while still protecting people who don't want to see it :)

reaching out to ppl is hard!! and then it becomes a Big Deal which is scary?? and posting things which sound poetic is a gr8 way to try and build meaning out of something which feels so meaningless, it can come across as glamorising, because u are, but you're trying to glamorise it for yourself because it all feels so unglamorous and it feels better to be sparkly and sad instead of just plain sad.


Never associated you with mental unhealth but as a person who is so fricking real and alive and humane  ❤


i was dreading watching this video.  I didn't want to watch because I love dodie a lot and hate to see her so low.  today I watched her new video so I came to this video & im glad I did.  im glad dodie is open about it but learn!! to!! talk!! to!! friends!! not!! the!! internet!! i love you dodie <3


Lol, had the same irrational response on the phone with an operator. My mom cracked her head open and I was running around in a blind panic, thinking she wasn't gonna survive (she did just fine.) I apologized to the operator as the EMTs came into put my mom in the ambulance and apparently, like 90% of people do the same thing. I already worry at the most benign stuff, so of course, when you think the worst thing that could happen is happening, it's only natural to react that way.


I don't know if I have actual diagnosed mental illness or not, just as like a precursor to this, but I definitely understand this feeling of talking into the void, of empty calories, that sort of thing. So, I read this book where the main character was dealing with a frick ton (dad left, schizophrenic mom, paralyzed sister, homeless, always in danger, etc etc) and she never felt like she could talk to anyone about it because she didn't have anyone besides the people who depended on her, so she put everything in this "vault" in her head. And I was not in the best place at the time reading this, so my head thought, oh that's a great idea, let's make a vault. So just on my phone I made a little note called "Vault" and whenever I had bad thoughts, going through a crap time, I would just type it into there. And keep in mind at this point I was sharing some things with friends, but I always felt I was sharing too much, taking up too much of the conversation, bringing them down, that sort of thing, so I would just say like a tiny portion of what I was thinking to them maybe and then burst it all in my Vault and I knew it was unhealthy, like I could feel it just making me feel worse and go down the rabbit hole, but I didn't know what else to do? And my friends did find out about it and they actually said, "nope, not happening, if you want a vault here it is" and they legitimately made a groupchat called "The Vault" where if /any/ of us (which was important to me, that any of us could come in and not just me because I hated feeling like our friendship was circling around our problems) could come and say if we were having a hard day or thinking something bad or anything like that. And honestly it's been SO MUCH BETTER because rather than just shouting it into the void or even going on social media and trying to get a call out ot people for help, it's going directly to people who love me and want to help me. So, yeah, sorry, this was long, but I just wanted to say that while oversharing and getting it out in media and talking about it at all is probably better than shutting yourself down and holding it in, it's so so so much better in my experience to either just go straight to your friends or pair it with something that actually allows you to get another opinion and help rather than a one-way, that "empty calories" as you said.

Best of luck Dodie <3


I've found similarly with getting things out over snapchat like you do, I do it on a private twitter account. I COMPLETELY overshare in graphic detail with how I'm feeling. About 7 or 8 people have access to my account, all of whom I'm friends with. And I think sometimes I wish someone would reach out and maybe thats why I do it. It feels good in the moment to type and rant and scream but sometimes it really does just feel like you're screaming at an empty void with no feedback. So in a weird way you end up feeling lonelier and lonelier.


i feel like it's worth noting through all of this that "romanticizing" doesn't always mean explicitly saying "my depression makes me beautiful" or expressly encouraging your followers to adopt ill or disordered behavior. you can unintentionally romanticize.

"thinspiration" blogs are obviously romanticizing mental illness, but the curators of such content aren't trying to encourage other people to develop disordered eating habits. most of those blogs say in the bio "this is just for me, I in no way encourage anyone to starve themselves" or some variation of that. they don't explicitly tell anyone to do anything. but they are no doubt romanticizing.

i just think it's important to be careful. especially with very young audience members. honesty is strong and raw but i worry that if struggling 13 year old me had see all of this, she would have come to the conclusion "dodie is beautiful and everyone loves her and feels bad for her, so if i submerge myself in my depression, if i adopt the same unhealthy coping mechanisms, everyone will love and feel bad for me and think i'm beautiful and tragic too."

i love you dodie, and i wish you the absolute best. i really truly do hope you feel better, i just worry that you may be going about it in a way that is unhealthy for both you and your following.


9:21-9:45 Hazel just spitting out the meaning of life


I guess my thoughts are its very easy to romanticize depression. And when youre in a very dark place after filming those things its easy to put them online and hope for something to lift you up.
I have a friend who does something similar but she believes shes the only one in the world who has problems. And she does not want solutions, or comforting, she wants to throw her problems at you and then be mad at you because theyre not fixed right afterwards.

I have the same conditions as she does but I prefer to stay on my own and i dont talk about my problems. I feel better that way and its what i do, but i understand she needs to talk but its so emotionally taxing to talk to her and be her friend
And she ONLY talks to me and treats me as a friend when shes vulnerable
And then she leaves to hang out with her "friends" that she complains to me about
I want her to be okay, but i cant help her the way she wants me to and i dont know what to do


I think that your "over sharing" on social media is quite a good way to show people that mental health is real and that if you feel that way you are not broken, theres just something wrong with the brain chemistry.  Personally, it makes me feel a lot less alone with what I am currently going through. However, I can see how it may be too much for some people. Hope you are well, I love you xxx


I like to think: If someone I look up to, like dodie, has mental health issues and can make it in the world then so can I. It's important to me to remember that they can do great things even though they're struggling with anxiety, depression, etc. because it helps me to realize that my mental health won't get in the way of me succeeding if I don't let it
With that said- dodie, you help me everyday to not feel alone. Do whatever you want to help you with your mental heath, even if that's pouring your heart out on social media because I will be there to cry with you over a screen and understand some, if not most things that you're feeling/ going through. You're not alone, no one is.
Much love xx


Mental health is such a misunderstood disease. You are doing very important work sharing your experiences. I do understand the overshare issue. Yet again people have to recognize that mental health is important to recognize. Many times mental health issues create physical health problems, they go hand in hand.
The other side is if I am extremely mental or suicidal I have only four people in my life that understand me and have seen the ugly mental health face. They are the only people I trust. The public never sees me on bad days because I literally cannot function.
My mental illness is genetic. As a child I saw my familia drink away their pain which led them into dangerous life challenges.
Now that I have been educated and diagnosed, and taking my medications. I realize what was going on in my family. It goes back four generations.
Blessings to you and use your music as a therapeutic release. Music helps the soul heal, for you and your fans.


What i do is record myself talking as a voice recording on my phone on an output so it doesn’t go to anyone but I still get it out


I honestly think it comes down to feeling like if you share a intimate thought to one person they might feel like they are pressured to help you at the moment and then they're making sure you're ok 24/7 which is really nice but also something some people dont want so sharing to an online community everyone can talk about it together  and then you dont have one single person feeling pressured to understand how you're feeling no matter how close that person is.


I've been thinking about your situation and came up with idea that maybe you could create a second snapchat for those that feel genuinely helped by what you say on your current snapchat. Obviously you don't have to create a mask on your original snapchat, still be yourself but when you want to truly discuss what's going on you could take it to the second account - a bit like both your YouTube channels. Just an idea 🙂


I think that before you post snaps about your brain, maybe watch it through to make sure it's not too much. If you feel you really want to post something, maybe add on text that says "depression talk" or something, so people who don't want to watch it can click away. I don't have depression, and it's hard to watch your snaps sometimes because they go into such depth, and it makes me wonder if my friends with depression also feel that way. Definitely call your friends before snapping. Maybe talking about your brain should be kept for occasional snaps talking about why you haven't been active on social media, or videos showing your progress (a more positive approach?)

I'd also add that since talking on social media can be a helpful outlet, writing it all down on paper could be just as helpful. But instead of being able to watch it back or read it all again, throw it away. Get it out so you feel a bit better, but get rid of it so you won't be tempted to reread it and potentially make yourself feel worse.


I've seen a lot of comments about how you should stop sharing on your Snapchat, you overshare etc. And maybe you shouldn't post as much on your snapchat, as it can affect the people who see it, but if making the videos helps and let's you vent, why not make a second snapchat? One where it's just for you so you can make these videos when you're feeling down, and then if u want to post one on your main Snapchat you can (after time to reflect). So it means you can still make these videos which seem to help you a lot but you won't get the oversharing issue. <3


Vartika why don't you self-advertise on a video about depression and mental health more, will ya? Please don't do this anymore, nobody will check out your channel if you do this. At least say what kinda content you do.


I'm not sure what I think. I haven't really thought that you were over sharing but the times you've cried on snapchat and stuff I did wish that you'd reached out to a friend because they properly know you and can respond to you in a way that we can't. I defiantly think that you should keep talking about therapy and the different pills you've tried and etc bc it's nice to see that you're doing something about it! hope you feel better one day xx.


Dodie, just know that I love you and have personally never thought about you oversharing, but maybe you could film videos where you feel really bad, and just send them to your friends? Wait until you feel better to show them to everyone. But maybe your friends would like to see them, because really want to help you. That way you can talk to a camera AND to your friends, and not sharing it on social media. Also, there's this app called Vent that you could download. It is literally made for venting. I think that could help you a lot, and you can be anonymous too.


I understand the pain, I think we all do to some degree, but there is such thing as spreading negative energy and poisoning the air around you. When the thing you choose to share becomes this low lonely state of emotion you constantly feel, it's hard to fall out of that pattern. I applaud you for sharing and breaking that unspoken barrier. Words can only go so far when you seek attention and physical connection


To what you said at 8:45 --
I think we create because we are mentally ill. It's an outlet, a way to cope, something else to do, a distraction. It's different based on what we feel in that moment.


I'm really glad I wasn't the only one who had to go into an ambulance due to an "allergic reaction" (allergic reaction equaling panic attack)


"We're all mental, woohooohooo" - Dodie 2K17 ❤❤


I haven't been actively following your different social media accounts, but from the comments here it seems like it's been pretty rough lately.

That is the "celebrity curse" I guess. When you're delightful and cheerful we - the audience - want more and more because deep down we want this positive life for ourselves. But when you're down and just want to reach out "please just share with your close friends and don't overwhelm us with your problems."

As someone who has to deal with mental crap on a daily basis, recently I find myself cringing whenever I see a super positive post or a post by someone successful who seems to have everything they want. I ended up unfollowing +400 accounts on instagram. Seriously I was just getting fed up with all the people doing much better than me. Yes there are also people with bigger struggles than mine and yours, but that doesn't mean our struggles aren't "real."

Sharing the struggles makes the person more real and relatable in my opinion. Especially with the social stigma and all, mental illness is like this booger that no one wants to see and they definitely don't want to listen to people talking about it.

Not enough people are so resilient that they won't get affected by someone talking about mental health issues, or watching bad news, etc. So I can understand where they're coming from. But again for me personally, I like seeing content that shows me that I'm not alone.

As for the whole "depression = creativity", that is not entirely true. Because it could reach a point where even the most enjoyable activities are no longer enjoyable. I'm living this nightmare for a year now.
And although I'm not even a celebrity, I still let people's opinions about what I "should and shouldn't do" get to my head. I'm now stuck and have no idea who I am. I'm having to rediscover myself at the age of 28. It's an interesting but difficult journey, but it's also very private because I don't want any outsider opinions on this.

Just listen to your heart. If your heart wants to tell the world then tell the world. If your heart just wants to share with close friends then do that.


I feel like when I'm at my lowest my mind draws me to post on social media to actually see who cares n to know where I stand with certain people


i got so many good life quotes from this video wow thank you for enchanting my soul


9:27 this has the same energy as "if you were all the time you wouldn't be human. You'd be a game show host"


Hey dodie a small bit ago you mentioned bullet journaling and making a full video about it (if you have kept up with that) I would love to see that and think it would be a wonderful idea for vedia


On the topic of delving into yourself and bringing shit up with you, it's really important that everyone does that. If you don't do that then you end up with problems that sprout from that. Creating is a good way of doing that, it helps you notice what is already wrong. Every problem must eventually be dealt with,if you just bury everything and stand on top ignoring it all then you'll experience /so/ many more problems. Allowing yourself to feel bad and becoming comfortable within your discomfort is ridiculously important. No one should float at the top all of the time, that's just not how it works


okay wow these comments are different than I thought they would be. Whenever I see your videos (I don't watch your snapchats) about mental illness they make me feel less alone in what i'm feeling. I relate to what you're saying and a lot of times you still try to have some positive thoughts to help. When you're talking about these things, you're mostly explaining what it feels like and i'm so bad at explaining this lol but it feels like your saying thoughts that I have and it's almost comforting to know someone else feels this way. I probably make no sense but basically, your videos help me. I think that if sharing is helping you, then it really is a good thing. However, of course, if you think sharing these things with your fans isn't healthy for you then you shouldn't.


"you're worried you're being a burden" me every single time i say anything about my bad mental health to anyone ahh


this is realatable. the whole time im thinking of those moments where you and your friend are in such a bad and depressing state that you cant stop laughing because you know if you do youll break down.


Omg thank you so much
I've done the exact same , I started taking a new medication and I was so convinced I was having an allergic reaction and dying , I couldn't breathe, I had heart palpitations, so I got my girlfriend to drive me to A&E and i was just having a panic attack
I've called an ambulance so many times because I've been utterly convinced I'm about to die only to be told I'm fine and just having a panic attack
And I always feel so pathetic and a drain on resources and just worthless so it's so reassuring to realise other people do the same


I'm a little late to this party, but I believe that what Dodie says is true and important about art! I do not believe that mental health is always associated with mental "disease." I believe mental health is the same at times as our bodily health. We are at any time either in good or bad condition. I also believe a person is always seen in their art. A person reveals what they admire or what they want to communicate in their art. Not many admire or believe the same things. And so every artist experiences constant rejection. Not everyone is affected the same by rejection, but rejection hurts everyone. An artist continually opens themselves up to criticism by sharing their art. And rejection really takes its toll on a person! So I believe that more often than not, mental health and wellness are both the product and the condition of an artist's work, at different times. I do not believe it romanticizes pain, but helps to explain the difficulties of being an artist.


why are you just the great, cutest, sweetest human being?


please don't take this too hard... This is my opinion.<br>I agree with that person who text you and hazel. I really don't like watching your Snapchats when I am in an ok mood or a bad mood because they put me in a worse mood. I loved your Paris Snapchats cause it felt like it was the first time in a long while that it wasn't something to do with low mental health. They were enjoyable. I understand that your mental health is a major part of your life and right now it's kinda taking over your life. But oversharing gives negative feelings to others.

please don't take this too hard... This is my opinion.
I agree with that person who text you and hazel. I really don't like watching your Snapchats when I am in an ok mood or a bad mood because they put me in a worse mood. I loved your Paris Snapchats cause it felt like it was the first time in a long while that it wasn't something to do with low mental health. They were enjoyable. I understand that your mental health is a major part of your life and right now it's kinda taking over your life. But oversharing gives negative feelings to others.

Dodie.. I love your video's and music and everything but just your oversharing is causing me to shy away like what hazel said.


Thanks for this, mental health problems are so overlooked. Employer's are not sympathetic. I suffer from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Fibrous Dysplasia, Frozen Pelvis, Polyarthralgia, Polymyalgia, Arthritis of hands, arm’s, shoulders, neck, back, hips, knees, ankles, corpal tunnel syndrome, Restless Leg Syndrome, Achilies tendinitis, hemiplegic migraines, Stucco Keratosis, Functional Tremors, depression, grade 3 chondromalacia of the left patellofemoral joint, night terrors and anxiety. All thanks to the swine flu in 2008. But thank you for your words. In 2007 I attempted suicide it didn’t work I planned it for weeks and picked the August Bank holiday weekend. Your music is fantastic and your words do help.


here are all my discombobulated thoughts on all of this.
1. i think it's super important and great that you're so open with your mental health online. i've learned more about the realities of being depressed and living with depression from watching your videos and snapchats than anything else.
2. however, it is a little...i don't wanna use the word "triggering" because it's not triggering for me per se, i don't have depression and i only have minor social anxiety, but there are some times where, like, i'll get sad after watching a particular video or series of snapchats where you talk about it. i can't think of any specific examples, and idk why i get sad, idk if i relate to some of your views on being lonely, or if i just feel really bad and sad for you and i don't want you to feel down on yourself, but yeah.
3. i see your thoughts on "it's easier to talk to a camera or to type it out to strangers on the internet" because i've been guilty of doing things like that before and it's gotten me in hot water. so i agree with the whole "empty calories" idea and that in the long run, i think it'll be better for you if you talk to your real friends about it. i am here for you, of course, but i'm just some fan in new jersey. you're not a burden to your friends--they care about you, that's why they're your friends. and if they do really care about you, they'd want to see you okay and will be supportive and there for you if you hit these bad spots.
4. i definitely don't think it's romanticizing anything. i just rewatched your "i am depressed today" video and it got me down, like i explained before, but it was so REAL and it's something i don't want to see happen to anyone i care about, including you. so things like that show the reality of it and that it sucks but there is help and it's possible to not feel that way all the time.
i hope this helps at least a little

Courtney Waring it's called the emotional contagion phenomenon! It's when we are directly effected by another person's emotions and it triggers us feel those same emotions. like when you're with someone really bubbly and happy and can't help but feel the same way. It is particularly true with very empathetic people.


I like the honesty in the non performance of this video. it's almost like the old youtube community video's. when people just made video's not for views but for personal reflection like a video diary.


your snapchats do make me sad sometimes. I get that you are spreading awareness for mental illness and how bad it can make you feel, and if venting to a camera helps, then so be it. but it can get a bit depressing, love!


I think this was really important insight on the topic


hi this was great i’m 100% sure this is what it would be like if me and my friends shared an apartment we are all fuckd too lmao idk why this was comforting i loved the tone it reminded me of my friends


In my experience it's always better to talk about a problem than it is to ignore it. I personally don't think you're oversharing. If you feel like it's becoming a problem then try to find another way to vent and work through your problems. If you don't feel like it's a problem, keep doing it. You do you bub


I love u doddie and thankyou for not sugar coating anything but saying it how it really is


the discussion about the creative people's dilemma was REALLY GOOD


Can you please please cover Harry styles song sweet creature. You're voice would be perfect for it. Also good video. Love you <3

lily miller i never knew i needed that until you said it omg


Honestly, like it's really never bothered me.  I have anxiety and depression, so I can relate, but I also don't find it triggering.  My main place of concern is that you seem to be threatening close friendships in your life.  There must be an effective way of managing your mental health that doesn't sacrifice those. xxxxx


What I tend to do is create when I'm happy because that's the things I like to surround myself with. It's not the next at times because I'll be down and still want to create. But, I'm not always going to be happy, and the things I make don't have to be positive. If I write a sad song and I'm left feeling better afterwards then it was worth it. But, I think that even when I'm at my lowest, I will still recover and get back up and in order to do that I have to give myself a little break. That doesn't mean that I can't create anything in that time, but I'd like to think that the things I make while I'm in that mental state don't define who I am


Zannah is a gem, and very intelligent. I think it also takes guts to say something your friend will not like hearing, and I admire her a great deal for that.

I, personally, like the videos where you talk honestly about how you feel when you're really low, but I have long worried about whether it was healthy for you to be constantly churning out this content where you feel like you have to 'prove' how terrible you're feeling. I know that things like that can sometimes help you let things out, but more often they get in the way of doing the practical work to get to a better frame of mind about things. It's like... sometimes you can 'prove it' so much and so often that this becomes too much a part of your self-identity, and then it becomes more and more entrenched, and then eventually that 'healthy' version of yourself feels more and more alien. Whereas, of course, the version of yourself that's the healthy one is actually what you should keep in mind as the 'Yourself' and the thing to try and get back to. In my case, it's less about the effect on your audience from oversharing (which can be both good and bad, as these comments show) and more about the effect it has on you.

Dodie, you're wonderful. You're funny, and honest, and whatever is happening in your world doesn't take away from that. But for your sake, I want you to feel like it's OK, and that doing what you need to do to feel better and OK (like trying to stick to a sleep schedule, making things that make you happy) doesn't invalidate anything. The world's opinions, at the end of the day, don't matter (however much you've come to believe that they do). It's you, and just you, and whatever you need to do to be healthier and happier, however that 'looks' to anyone else.

Good luck on your journey. Getting to know yourself, it's a difficult thing and sometimes exhausting and weird and everything else. But you can do it, and get yourself to a much better place that you're at know - I really believe that.


I've been watching you for maybe 2 years now and i've always looked forward to your uploads, especially the videos about mental health. I don't see your videos or your snapchat stories to be romanticised AT ALL. I suffer with various mental health problems and your videos honestly help me so much. I personally don't want you to stop "oversharing" because i think they really do benefit a lot of people. Maybe from now on add trigger warnings before you post anything that could be triggering.. that way the people who don't want to watch it don't have to, and people like me who really benefit from those videos still can. <3 don't ever feel ashamed to talk about your health, whether it be mental or physical x

Jesse-Jay Billett same I agree with u all the way


I don't know if this is true or even coherent but it seems like something to add: is it maybe easier to talk to 'us' your generalised audience than the people you know, your friends about your struggles because we don't know you? It seems like the people who find your snaps and long Insta posts therapeutic and encouraging for the most part are people who don't know you well, and it's easy (speaking from my own experience) not to like, think of you as a whole person and worry properly about it because for your audience you're
 an important but smallish and removed part of their everyday lives but for your close friends it's difficult to watch not only because they're often going through similar things and it's somewhat triggering but also because they're close friends of yours, they actually know you, (which we don't, we know a lot about you but we don't know you) . Idk, rambly and confusing but isn't it all. We're all doing our best and this life shit is tough. You're doing great things, both of you! Keep on keeping on xxxxxxxxxxxxx

I don't know if this is true or even coherent but it seems like something to add: is it maybe easier to talk to 'us' your generalised audience than the people you know, your friends about your struggles *because* we don't know you? It seems like the people who find your snaps and long Insta posts therapeutic and encouraging for the most part are people who don't know you well, and it's easy (speaking from my own experience) not to like, think of you as a whole person and worry properly about it because for your audience you're
 an important but smallish and removed part of their everyday lives but for your close friends it's difficult to watch not only because they're often going through similar things and it's somewhat triggering but also because they're close friends of yours, they actually know you, (which we don't, we know a lot *about* you but we don't know *you*) . Idk, rambly and confusing but isn't it all. We're all doing our best and this life shit is tough. You're doing great things, both of you! Keep on keeping on xxxxxxxxxxxxx


HAZEL'S DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE PLATES IS SO RELATABLE


9:20 Also we're fine - suffering is a part of human existence - we weren't intended to just exist and be happy all the time - and if you didn't suffer you wouldn't be able to tell the happiness apart from it - and we do create and we do make cool stuff -  and a lot of that has to come from kind of bad places unfortunately


I had to stop following you and watching your videos because I just couldn't handle it. Everything was just so dark vivid and intense. I use social media and the internet to try and distract me from that part of myself and you'd just bring it all backup. I'd get angry at you for sharing everything just because it would make everything so much worse. I didn't want another voice in my head talking about how bad everything is when I've already got my own. It did feel like you were romanticising mental health and I just had to distance myself from that (it wasn't just you though, I deleted my tumblr account and stop following other people). What you were doing wasn't healthy for anyone your audience or yourself, I'm glad you've finally seen that because I did love your other content. Also your creativity is completely separate from your mental illness. You can use it as fuel for your creations, but your depression isn't what makes you creative.


when Hazel says 'aww dipple dopple' soooo cute


Maybe if you had 1 (or maybe a few) designated days when you publicly talk about your mental health that would help. This way you are spreading awareness (which is very important) but you might not be oversharing as much if you keep it to a few days each month.

This would 1) give a warning to those who might not want to hear about mental health and 2) let you continue to have an outlet.


Sharing your feeling and talking about them and needing others for that is definitely something humans need, but please don't let it be your ONLY NEED. I know when we feel lonely we desperately search for someone else, in any way. Oversharing on social media, being too emotionally dependant on other people, being desperate for anyone's attention, etc. I used to do that SO much when I was younger, and at least for me it was very, very unhealthy. I realized later that if I felt like that so often, there must be a reason behind that, and I actually found some of them. A lack of self esteem, a lack of confidence on myself, a lack of activities that made me feel good while needing only me, a deep hope for the world to change for me but no will on changing myself, for myself, and the list goes on an on. What I want to say is that it's not on other people, it's in yourself. Please take more take taking care of your other needs, not just on your need of feeling others care for you. Maybe you need to eat healthier, to exercise more, to stay longer (or less) on your pajamas, maybe you need to grow as a person, or as an artist, maybe you need to focus on some other things that make you feel good like, idk, paiting a wall a different colour, cooking something new, go for a walk and draw the plants you see, listen to happier songs, wearing your favorite dresses, whatever! There's so much you can do instead of being stuck in your social media... And maybe your soul needs to see beauty more than all the horrors you see now, and that only depends on you. Please take good care of yourself, whoever is reading this. <3


Damn I felt what hazel said, ‘when you send those mental texts when you’re down and then you look at it the next day and cringe’ like ommggggg. I lost my best friend because of it. Which sucked. But I feel like I’m better off without her anyways; I’ve grown so much more without her. But I feel so much guilt for some of the stuff I said to her


Hey dodie! Thanks so much for making your snapchat more positive lately. There was a point in time when I had to stop watching your story because it really wasn't good for my mental health, but now they make me smile! So thank you :)


When people think you have to be mentally ill to create or that people with a mental illness are more creative etc, i fear for myself because i dont suffer from it and i dont want to. But i wanna be an artist, i want to create.
Please dont romanticize mental illnesses, people, please.
Just wanted to say that.
Oh and btw "a bit of madness is key" from Audition, is not referring to a mental illness necessarily, i think it is about artists having different POVs that allows them to see the world differently, and that that helps them create something worth sharing.


When I was in really bad places I would ""rant"", overshare online, and wallow in it so I was visibly a mess essentially as a cry for help. On one level that was how I felt, but on the other it wasn't doing any good to me or anyone else. I was triggering some friends, making others feel guilty, and I had some friendships that were essentially built on me being sad and them feeling bad about it which as soon as I recovered we became increasingly distant and those friendships ended as they weren't built on anything real. I've grown up a lot and have new friends but now I'm a lot more private about when I do have episodes and I'm in a much better place because of that. Equate my friendships to being your viewers - before I sort of felt I had to be sad for those friends to care, which kept me sad and oversharing about it because I felt like that was the only times they cared, instead of now where there's more to stop me saying things like that. As a result I've become much better at dealing with it quietly myself instead of relying on others and causing them struggles, which ultimately made my struggles worse as in a way I indulged in the attention from it. There's a fine balance between being ashamed and oversharing and although you shouldn't feel ashamed for mental illness, I think, especially as with me it was just a relatively small social circle whilst with you it's a whole audience of impressionable young people, you may have gone too far the oversharing way, like I used to. I'm saying this as a loving viewer, thank you for opening a discussion, sorry if that doesn't make much sense xx


Dodie i'm a massive massive fan of you and your music and you seem like a wonderful person, but you are definitely oversharing too much on social media. I've had to distance myself from your videos and social medias, because I do get frustrated at the amount of sad things you post, especially when you say you don't think life's worth living. as someone who has bpd, depression and anxiety, I've been there, i've posted depressing things, and i know how horrible the world can seem when you're in that place. So I get it, I really do. But I don't think posting as much as you do is healthy for your recovery, and  i just can't help but think of your audience. I'm 20 years old, but when I was at your concert there were so many young girls, and I'm so afraid that they will see their idol saying 'I have to be depressed to be creative' (in so many words), and see depression as a fashionable, artistic thing, when we both know it's nothing of the sort. And when you talk about your antidepressants, and stopping them very soon without saying what your next course of action is, I worry that people will be discouraged from trying medication or sticking with it. I know none of this is your fault at all, you can do as your please with your own life and body, and of course I don't know you and would never think to tell you what to do with your own life. But as an online personality you do have a responsibility to the audience you have created. Maybe a private twitter account would be good for you? Hazel is definitely right - talking about mental health is excellent and necessary, but please wait until you're in a good and healthy place to offer some insight and advice, rather than posting rashly in the heat of these feelings <3 love and support to you xxxx

Rumer Priestly this this this !!! i find it so hard because i am a teen with genuine and very severe depression, which is hereditary, but because of this new "trend" of mental illness among young people im often grouped as just another teenager trying to be edgy. anyone with genuine mental illness knows it is NOT something you should want. that's the issue i've always had with talking about it too reduce stigma. we're making it the opposite of something to be ashamed of - something to be proud of

Rumer Priestly So true, and honestly because of that idea of mental illness being a grand thing and that it makes people, 'unique,' it's so hard for the people with an actual mental illness to be taken seriously.

EllasDayOff a lot of the problem is that younger people seem to WANT a mental illness, almost romanticising it, as though it makes you interesting and unique and cool. So many teens self-diagnose and go around saying/insisting they have BPD or depression or anxiety as if it's cute or sweet, as if sadness is romantic and beautiful. It's so incredibly toxic. Like, find me a single person on tumblr that doesn't say they have depression and anxiety.

I think kids need to be told by those they look up to that they can't give themselves a diagnosis, that they need to see a doctor and find out about what's going on from a professional rather than deciding "I get sad sometimes and I worry so I have depression and anxiety". Mental illness isn't cool or fun or cute or romantic. It's fucking HORRIBLE, and not something people should want.

They need to realise that they're just moulding themselves to fit a diagnosis and not continue to insist that they're mentally ill. It's very frustrating to see kids do that.

Also, fellow depression, anxiety and BPD diagnosis over here. I feeeeeeeeel you.


Also:<br>Just reading through some of these comments it seems like a lot of what people are saying is: "Don't talk about how sad you are because I've had it worse than you, here are all of my bad experiences." I think that pointing out the hypocrisy in statements like this is unnecessary, but it might do well to point out the fact that other people's bad experiences in no way invalidate yours. YOUR FEELINGS ARE VALID. DON'T LET THESE ETHICAL QUESTIONS MAKE YOU FORGET THAT. YOU'RE ALLOWED TO SHARE ALL YOU WANT.

Also:
Just reading through some of these comments it seems like a lot of what people are saying is: "Don't talk about how sad you are because I've had it worse than you, here are all of my bad experiences." I think that pointing out the hypocrisy in statements like this is unnecessary, but it might do well to point out the fact that other people's bad experiences in no way invalidate yours. YOUR FEELINGS ARE VALID. DON'T LET THESE ETHICAL QUESTIONS MAKE YOU FORGET THAT. YOU'RE ALLOWED TO SHARE ALL YOU WANT.


I agree with a lot of the comments below about how the sharing in this way is damaging. <br>Also, something to think about is perhaps youtube and other creative lifestyles have the potential to feed mental illness a little. You don't get given a routine, and having to create your own deadlines and schedules is harder than when someone else does it for you. I see it a lot in people who I know who are self-employed and such. It's so much pressure, and routines to keep your mind busy are so so important when trying to combat mental illness and a lot of people don't realize that. Creative people often have time to indulge their unhealthy thought processes (not out of choice.) I think that might be part of a reason for the links between creativity and mental illness, which I don't believe is fully true. Also, the people who are creative are the people who are more inclined to share their experiences hence you hear about mentally ill people's experiences with mental health more.

I agree with a lot of the comments below about how the sharing in this way is damaging.
Also, something to think about is perhaps youtube and other creative lifestyles have the potential to feed mental illness a little. You don't get given a routine, and having to create your own deadlines and schedules is harder than when someone else does it for you. I see it a lot in people who I know who are self-employed and such. It's so much pressure, and routines to keep your mind busy are so so important when trying to combat mental illness and a lot of people don't realize that. Creative people often have time to indulge their unhealthy thought processes (not out of choice.) I think that might be part of a reason for the links between creativity and mental illness, which I don't believe is fully true. Also, the people who are creative are the people who are more inclined to share their experiences hence you hear about mentally ill people's experiences with mental health more.


Showing vulnerability is a really healthy thing in some ways, but I'm sure when you have massive audiences of people who don't truly know you, that must be really difficult too. It's must be an awful lot more difficult to edit yourself off camera with people who know you really well, who pick up on everything, who read what you're not saying, just by being around you in person.  Maybe there's a bit of a safety net being completely honest on camera, because you know you'll never meet 99% of you online audience.  Maybe if it's not too daunting or scary - when you're in a "good place" think of yourself in 5 or 10 years.  Who from your life now,  do you hope will be in your life then?  Who would you be able to chat to about stuff at 4am?  They are the people you can rely on now too.X


I also think the sentiment that mental illness and creativity go hand in hand may be true for some- but those who aren't creative, who don't make art, or create, experience mental illness. I think creativity should be taken out of the equation. I have many mental health issues, and I am not creative. I purely enjoy others creations, and I don't make my own. I can't. I sometimes see things like this and think "wow, I'm just sad and there is no silver lining. I'm ill and I have nothing to give."


To the people that say dodie has gotten too much with the depression videos, I suppose it's like the analogy of depression really does push people away from you and wanting to see you as much ( im speaking from a general standpoint) , and that's really sad when youtube is sometimes the only space a person may feel comfortable with their expression at the time. <br>You can't win in a way

To the people that say dodie has gotten too much with the depression videos, I suppose it's like the analogy of depression really does push people away from you and wanting to see you as much ( im speaking from a general standpoint) , and that's really sad when youtube is sometimes the only space a person may feel comfortable with their expression at the time.
You can't win in a way


I definitely get where you're coming from Dodie, but I think there's a big difference between letting people know when you need support and letting people know the really deep depressive thoughts that you can have. I know I used to rely on other people way too much to deal with the dark depressive thoughts when really, thinking about them and working through them sometimes just made them worse. At a certain point it just becomes a romanticization of mental illness and an indulging of it, which isn't healthy at all.


I used to follow another YouTube who suddenly started posting only about depression/anxiety, and she lost a mass amount of her audience. I'm not saying that will happen, but I do think you should be aware that it could happen.


I know everyone is saying you share too much and it's sometimes not healthy but I just want to say that you have helped me tremendously. My friend (she's the one I always go to when I need someone to talk to about my anxiety and just brain stuff in general. Mental health, little facts, her dyslexia, etc) sent me the video of your song "Secret for the Mad" during a particularly bad bout of anxiety and it helped bring me out of that pit a little bit and helped me feel a little bit better. After that I started watching your videos on this channel. All of them. Sad ones, happy ones, old ones, new ones, random ones, any I had time to watch. And they've helped me so much. It makes me happy to see you still making these videos that make so many people, including me, smile, even though you feel like crap sometimes. And it really helps me to watch your videos specifically on mental health, like this one, when I'm having a bad mental health day, or just whenever, because I can see that I'm not the only one who feels like this. I can relate to you and it comforts me. Thank you Dodie Clark. Thank you for cheering me up, comforting me, being there for me, providing me with distraction from the never ending thoughts in my head and for so many other things. Thank you. ❤❤


Dodie it's one second over 10 minutes you're turning into Pewdiepie


While your snapchats don't personally affect me because I have found a way to distance myself from things like that, I can totally understand that some people can be negatively affected by them. I love you so much dodes, and I know that its your outlet, but maybe keep recording the videos, but wait like a day before uploading them? I think after getting a clear head from whatever's going on, you'll be able to understand what is and isn't too much to put out there. Definitely don't stop sharing though! I know that your openness (even if it was a bit much sometimes) has definitely helped me on a lot of my darker days. We just want to see you healthy, dodie <3


Dodie I love you, but sometimes I do think you overshare. I like when you talk about mental illness and I do like the way you portray it in your songs, personally I think that it does help, but there has been times where I have to skip your sc stories because they make me feel worse when I'm already in a bad place. Although I still want you to talk about it on sc but maybe not as "raw"


I think that instead of using of snapchat or putting all of your thoughts online for everyone to see, you could try journaling! Maybe check out Overall Adventures' channel, and her video on Reason why you should Journal. I hope this helps xxxx


I think the only thing that has upset or frustrated me in this whole scenario, is people's reponses to this video etc. There seem to be these ridiculous unspoken rules about what can and can't be said about mental health to avoid <b>triggers</b>. It confuses me that people are encouraged to talk about mental health, but then censor and debate about what is appropriate. The comment section of this video truly disappoints me. The nit picking and political correctness comments have me so confused. Hazel and dodie are having a honest and in depth discussion about something important and people want to police that? Why do people seem to think mental health has to stay in a therapist's office? We need people like Dodie to talk freely about mental health. I do agree that specific details can be a little intense as mental health often can be incredibly dark and those thoughts can be very concerning and scary for a lot of people. But to be honest with you, its real and raw. This is the shit so many people have to put up with their brain producing and its painful and exhausting. I think policing mental health acceptability is a step in the wrong direction. There are always boundaries to everything, i understand that. But for fucks sake, just chill out a little.

I think the only thing that has upset or frustrated me in this whole scenario, is people's reponses to this video etc. There seem to be these ridiculous unspoken rules about what can and can't be said about mental health to avoid *triggers*. It confuses me that people are encouraged to talk about mental health, but then censor and debate about what is appropriate. The comment section of this video truly disappoints me. The nit picking and political correctness comments have me so confused. Hazel and dodie are having a honest and in depth discussion about something important and people want to police that? Why do people seem to think mental health has to stay in a therapist's office? We need people like Dodie to talk freely about mental health. I do agree that specific details can be a little intense as mental health often can be incredibly dark and those thoughts can be very concerning and scary for a lot of people. But to be honest with you, its real and raw. This is the shit so many people have to put up with their brain producing and its painful and exhausting. I think policing mental health acceptability is a step in the wrong direction. There are always boundaries to everything, i understand that. But for fucks sake, just chill out a little.


Wow, I'm not really sure what my response is. I think that maybe recently it's gotten too much, to the point that I avoid you're snapchats because I don't want to deal with that, but then I feel bad that I'm avoiding you're snapchats because I feel like I'm avoiding it because it's about mental health. But another reason is because the things you say sometimes really scare me, the way you talk about how you're feeling sometimes makes me feel nervous about what you are going to do next, and it's the fact that there is nothing that I can do except leave a comment or a reply that you probably won't see that scares me. I think you should try work on backing off a little and texting your friends because they can help, they can talk to you on the phone or in person, we can't. For us it is a one sided cry for help that we can't answer which can make me feel a bit shit even if I was feeling good just minutes before. However at the same time I don't want you to feel horrible about making me and other people feel that way because the truth is, it can help people and you are spreading awareness, I think your audience is attracted to you because we are similar to you, and as many of us are younger, you can explain feelings that we may not understand yet, which makes us feel less alone. So I don't think you should stop talking about mental health because you being so open can really help so many people that don't understand it or don't know how to deal with it, like a sort of safe haven for people struggling. But at the same time, sometimes just showing you're complete raw emotion and feelings to us and not someone who can help can feel a bit overwhelming for the people watching on. I didn't watch this video last night because I was feeling happy, and just didn't want to watch you being sad which made me feel selfish  but that's just how it was. I really hope you feel better soon because all we want is for you to be happy but for now please try work on showing your emotions to someone who can help you and talk to you, rather than thousands of people who can't.

"one sided cry for help that we can't answer" is PERFECTLY said. i also feel guilty when I avoid some of her stuff but I just never know what to do- and it is because <b>we</b> can't really do anything.

"one sided cry for help that we can't answer" is PERFECTLY said. i also feel guilty when I avoid some of her stuff but I just never know what to do- and it is because *we* can't really do anything.


i think it's brilliant that people talk about it publicly, it's a common issue that if isn't talked about nobody will recognise.


i reckon you create and share things like this because of what hazel said- you use so much of your life experiences to create. because this is such a big thing in your life atm, and because you use your life to create, this happens. there will always be a bit of the input in the outcome.


'am i oversharingggg too much' just misread that as:
'am i overshagingggg too much!'
and I was like, that doesn't sound like Dodie!!! unless she's finally lost it and gone mental!


I like hazels end note with a broader / maturer perspective


i feel a bit better knowing im not alone, when im in a not so bad place for my mental health, like a peak in a line graph of my brain but sometimes i dont dare to open up the content of the more open people because its just a graphic description of how i feel in a low moment then i just spiral


Reading a lot of these comments gave me a new insight, but I'm still comfortable with your sc and insta. As someone who is 22 and has spent weeks in mental recovery facilitations with little to no prevail, and a lengthy list of mental problems (as does everyone here??) (god help us all, can he just Let Us Be :/) I find what you say relatable, kind of like when you find a sad song, and you're like, THIS, I want people to listen to this. I have and probably will never post about my mental health online (except for now, damn) so at first it was weird for me to see you being so open about it. But after seeing your struggle, you became more real to me. Sometimes when you're feeling like life is so pointless, you want to yell loudly, "hey, life is pointless guys!". How your brain works makes it hard to focus on anything but the storm in your fucking head, because it's Your life. You're constantly living it, so not talking about it or thinking about it, is hard. I think filtering yourself would be an odd change, you've been so open, you have shown you need to keep working. You hear all the stories. "It takes a while, but it happens!" But we are seeing it, and we are gonna see it. We are gonna see the day when you wake up smiling and happy and when you can go to bed soundly. I understand that people are uncomfortable, and I totally respect that, and they definitely shouldn't watch if it makes them feel bad in anyway, but I wouldn't stop. You making art or talking about it too much isn't romanticizing it. It's your outlet, you're creative. Be true to you, ya know? Depression and depersonalization and the shit ton you deal with, makes it hard to even make things. You want to create, but... it's just something that's harder to do now. And if you want to talk about mental health or anything, you should. Love u mah man


Personally, I find it very difficult to listen to people talk about mental illness, even if I READ a book (like All The Bright Places, romanticises mental illness a helleva lot would not recommend) it makes me feel bad. I feel like shit after I hear this sort of stuff and I understand it's healthy to tell people about your problems but I can't deal with it be uses it makes me feel really horrible. My brain is fine by itself, it functions well and I don't have problems with myself, heck I hardly ever have bad days unless someone else is telling me about how shit their life is and I feel that sometimes, social media is not the place for venting if you're using it so often for that reason, it does effect other people.

I love Dodie but it is hard to hear stuff like this and I can't offer any alternative ways for you to share your emotions but I do honestly hope you find a healthier way to let your feelings out and I pray you don't have struggle with mental illness like you do💗


I think you should take a break from social media, because it's a lot more damaging than we realize and go back to taking your meds. Medication takes time to work and you kind of just gave up and then made light of it on Twitter which honestly helps NO ONE! we want you to get better, but it seems like everything you're doing just directly goes against that.

Laurel Lakoundji this THIS this! My meds had to build up in my system for a month for me to feel anything and my psychiatrist told me so. Also my therapist had to break it to me that it wasn't a magic pill it just took the edge off and made it easier to deal with, and therapy was for learning how to combat those intrusive thoughts and forgive myself n all that. I was really upset with the way Dodie was talking about getting help bc it's such a process and it takes time and it's not helping any of the misconceptions about meds and getting help to talk about immediate results

Yeah, I agree. I feel like saying the medication isn't working will discourage a lot of people and make them feel like medication won't work for them. It might make people feel a little less hopeful, which is never good

YES! But the biggest thing to remember is there is <b>no magic pill</b>. You need to be fighting depression from all angles. Medication only works if you're using healthy coping mechanisms along side it. You have to want to get better. When depression hits it's like you're being crushed by a rock- the medication will help you lift the rock up, but it can't do it alone. Dodie is not utilizing the best coping mechanisms, which means that she isn't giving the meds a fair shot. And sometimes some meds don't work for you!  I tried five medications before I found the right ones. You gotta fight through it and keep trying.

YES! But the biggest thing to remember is there is *no magic pill*. You need to be fighting depression from all angles. Medication only works if you're using healthy coping mechanisms along side it. You have to want to get better. When depression hits it's like you're being crushed by a rock- the medication will help you lift the rock up, but it can't do it alone. Dodie is not utilizing the best coping mechanisms, which means that she isn't giving the meds a fair shot. And sometimes some meds don't work for you!  I tried five medications before I found the right ones. You gotta fight through it and keep trying.

I agree. I didn't just take a break, but I quit all my social media. And it does help me feel better now

Everyday with Jess and judging by the comments, it seems most people agree that her suffering in the public eye can be triggering and counter productive. while the social media posts and excessive snapchatting may seem like an outlet for her, it is being absorbed by young fans who don't know any better ways to deal with mental illness. i just wish she would be more encouraging about mental illness and finding solutions  in order to break that stigma, what she's doing is just using her fanbase as a platform to vent and doesn't realize the consequences

Everyday with Jess what she does is hurting people. Maybe not everyone, but it is her responsibility as someone with a large audience to be more mindful of the fact that people can see what she does. Displaying unhealthy coping mechanisms isn't something that should be happening.

Everyday with Jess what I was getting at is that she just went off them. You talked to your doctor and gave them a good trial run. I will agree with you that it is better to be honest, but there are ways to be tactful about it and turning social media into your diary isn't it.

I think potentially a break maybe a good idea. But if the medication isn't working then stopping is a good idea.
She really should try another one.

I was on a medication and I was on it for 6 weeks and it was working but the side effects weren't worth it in the end. I called my psychiatrist and said I can't do this anymore.
She then put me on something else which worked but I decided that I didn't want to be on meds anymore and I'm better without them. It just didn't work for me.

She's depressed and in the public eye and this is just a season and we'll all see when Dodie gets better. It's better to be honest than pretend everything is good all the time. Sure, it's oversharing and she needs to cut down. But these honest conversations are what we need to break the stigma. Suffer in public where people care, rather than in silence where it could potentially affect you enough to end your life.


Can anyone tell me what Dodie said in the particular SC story they are discussing, I don't always check Snapchat but the stories I have seen don't seem too dark so I'm not sure what's being discussed!


I still love this video and watch it regularly.


Dodie, I'd like to advise You something. Please try not to indulge in your head and mental health so much. Don't check if you're feeling ok or not. Set yourself some little aims for every day, make a list and stick to it so as to focus on what you do rather thank what you feel. Try it for a couple of days so that your brain could work differently for a while.
Also, I do believe that you can change almost everything with your decisions. You can decide that you're gonna be positive, successful etc. It is difficult to switch to such a 'mode', I know. But I also believe that every barrier is in one's mind and feeling powerful to overcome it by changing the way you think might truly help you.
I hope that you read it, Dodie and I hope that what I wrote makes sense. I'm with you,  Julia from Poland. 💕😽


I have never seen it as oversharing. But that may have a lot to do with the fact that I haven't been able to to verbalize my own struggles to anyone and it feels like by someone else sharing stories of the same issues that it makes me feel better because at least I'm not alone. I don't know if that makes sense, I'm sure it's not healthy. I also think that it is easier to talk to a stranger because there is no follow up if you don't want there to be.


When men are surrounded by and have taken on toxic aspects of masculinity its also really hard for men to reach out to get help with mental health. Noone is an island (who copes well, anyway). I wish our education or expectations were better for this.


Um... I appreciate you being real and authentic with your mental health, because people are struggling exactly like you are and you don't know the comfort it is to see that im not alone, when you're so open with what you go through, it helps me feel not alone. You have made a difference already.


I love this video so many times because I love it!


I think dodie is so, so so brave. Talking can sometimes be the hardest thing and the fact that she has found doing youtube a help just shows how strong she is. It's not 'romanticising' mental health because you can tell it all comes from such a raw and real place! My whole life then mental health of certain family members was sugarcoated to the extent that when I finally found out it hit me so hard and that was something I can't come back from. I have always found that it is something which is seen as shameful and so to find dodie, and for her to speak so openly and honestly has just been the relief I need. Obviously I am speaking from a personal perspective but comments saying that it can be damaging, or is irresponsible because she has such a following simply aren't true. The reason there is such a following is because the way dodie is has drawn us all in in one way or another. From a personal point of view, her talking about the way she feels and how it affects her helps me to think more about myself in ways previously shut away by the way I was brought up. On a more general scale, I think it is so, so important that more people understand mental health and realise how it can affect people! In the end, your views are your own but just try to see all the good things, and how strong and brave dodie is to show us the harder times. Life isn't all just happy pictures on instagram, so it is equally important that the other side is recognised, however hard that may be to think about. From where I'm sitting (or lying, actually) the content dodie puts out there has contributed so positively to my life and I would hate to only see the 'happy' bits. Love and skittles to all xox


Ahhhhh I'm so early!!!!!! Love youuuuuu!! Been a fan for years xx u have an amazing voice!!!!!


Okayyyy...I have the absolute opposite tendency of you about sharing my struggles in life. Partially from seeing facebook posts of people I barely know telling the world dramatized stories about their life that just seem like a plea for attention when everyone is going through stuff. But mostly I shy away from sharing tricky stuff like this because when I was in high school and DEEPLY depressed, anxious, and mildly suicidal, I opened up to and relied on my friends, who brushed off all my cries for help. Once when I told my friend I wanted to die she responded with "everyone feels that way sometimes." Luckily I've moved past that point in life and, although still struggling lots, I no longer wish to die nor do I cry every single day. But that experience has made me wary in sharing my vulnerable self with the world. My close friends and family always know what's going on but I tend to paint a perfect picture of myself online and to the general masses not because I want to appear perfect, but because I don't want to make a fuss.


Honestly, when I first saw the video and started watching it, I thought it was called "over shaving too much" and I was very confused😂😂


also, I feel like Zannahs' txt was VERY good advice (that's basically what I was talking about in the long as comment that I wrote), there's a limit, I think, to sharing things on social media, to sharing things with friends, family, and people who can actually help. It's helpful to people to be able to see videos of urs and go: "Oh, someone else feels like I do" but there is a lot of deep stuff on ur snapchat that; I like..(?) hearing about(not because it's good) but because I want to help, but I can't (i am just a humble doddler :D ). However, friends, family and counsellors can, so that would probably mean that it's crossing the line of: "Oh, I just want to let my viewers know how I'm feeling" to "I'm letting my viewers know.. BECAUSE it's easier to talk to a camera."

Take care of urself Dodie!!! Find the line, so that u can know what is good for ur mental health <3

It's ok to have online rants sometimes, depending on their severity


i do find it difficult to look at your snapchat sometimes, suffering from bad mental health myself. maybe using trigger warnings before your snapchats/instagram posts could help? because social media can be a healthy outlet, but it isn't always healthy for others to see. love u


I definitely relate to trying to find that balance of being open to people about how im feeling, and just venting here and there, and realizing im being crazy, and regretting that "late night text" when i was in my worst place, that i shouldnt have sent. Its hard to find that balance of reaching out to people when you are hurting and being completely closed off when you are hurting. Its true, there isnt a "right answer" either.


I'm on sertraline, which is the antidepressant dodie was taking, and at first I was like 'yay dodie is going to realise that antidepressants really help and she's taking the same one as me and it's normalising medication and I don't feel so alone' however when she started saying it wasn't working and stopped taking it I was like 'should it have worked for me?' 'Am I really depressed if my medication makes me feel better?' 'What if I was just making it up?' Which is super unhealthy and I don't know how to feel anymore. I want dodie to normalise mental health but without triggering others which is so hard to do I suppose, and I'm awful at avoiding triggers even when there's a warning so it's so difficult for me.


This reminds me of the way my best friends and I talk at the middle of the night at sleepovers


this video made me cry because it's just me. it describes my behaviour when i'm depressed so well. i like... i talk about on my instagram, but it in the caption of a picture i'm posting and just hope that someone will ask "is everything okay?". i don't want to like... text my friends "i'm in a bad place rn, can we talk?" because i don't want to be a burden. i don't... i don't wanna make their lives harder than they already are. i'm like afraid that they don't understand me or tell me it'll pass soon. that's not helpful in the moment though a while later i lool back on what they said and i know that my friends were right. i am this weird combination of needing validation and attention to function properly and to feel alright, but at the same time i want to be left alone and have my space. and i feel like when i reach out for help i... lie to people? idk how else to describe this feeling really but it's basically the only way to put it into words


U probs won't read this but Take all the time u need dodie, I love ur content but I don't want u killing urself over making it


The amount of people in the comments that are bashing dodie on how she processes her thoughts, emotions, and feelings have most likely never been mentally ill themselves. It's so much easier to talk to a stranger or to a camera or post something online than it is to talk to someone you know because you don't know how you'll be received. It's exactly like she said: it's embarrassing, you don't want to feel like a burden, and you don't think people will understand or believe you. The reception some people could potentially take from this could be one of a romanticizing of mental illness, but by talking about how she's feeling, dodie's not going to magically transfer her mental health issues onto someone else. If anything, dodie talking about it and her feelings might make someone, who otherwise would've been hiding from their mind, realize that they might have something going on too and hopefully get themselves help. I've been struggling with my mental health for years and dodie is one of the reasons I've finally started seeking help


Dear Dodie,<br>I know that you have problems too and you know how to handle them because you have help,but I'm scared that I'm depressed and I have mental problems or I am depressed. Please Dodie,I hope that you even see this comment, it will help me so much if you would talk to me of you would give me some advice. Can you tell me what to do or help me? I feel empty and I feel that everything that I do is for nothing and it's not helpful and just boring. I feel like at the end of the day, everything is for nothing. I feel like no one will understand me and there is no point in living if I'm not happy. Dodie,please read this.

Dear Dodie,
I know that you have problems too and you know how to handle them because you have help,but I'm scared that I'm depressed and I have mental problems or I am depressed. Please Dodie,I hope that you even see this comment, it will help me so much if you would talk to me of you would give me some advice. Can you tell me what to do or help me? I feel empty and I feel that everything that I do is for nothing and it's not helpful and just boring. I feel like at the end of the day, everything is for nothing. I feel like no one will understand me and there is no point in living if I'm not happy. Dodie,please read this.


It's really weird.. because, here we are, trying to get noticed by one of our "best friend" our inspiration and all, but we know thats not really going to happen bc we are strangers.<br>And here is Dodie, kinda just like us, trying to reach out to the people or a person she loves, just like a "fan" and here its us who is like "take a step back, we are happy to help, but this is really too much, we are still here for you, but this is too personal When we are just strangers"

It's really weird.. because, here we are, trying to get noticed by one of our "best friend" our inspiration and all, but we know thats not really going to happen bc we are strangers.
And here is Dodie, kinda just like us, trying to reach out to the people or a person she loves, just like a "fan" and here its us who is like "take a step back, we are happy to help, but this is really too much, we are still here for you, but this is too personal When we are just strangers"


Here's the thing, you shouldn't have to censor yourself to make your content. This is your channel, your space, your creative outlet. Do what you need to do to not feel like a fake or a liar. You do have a young audience, but what does pretending not to have flaws or struggles do for them? Does idolizing you as a flawless person help them better themselves?

The opinion will always vary. 'If you talk about suicide, someone might be suicidal.' 'If you tell them you're depressed, they might become depressed.' 'If you don't talk about it, people will feel they struggle solo, never finding an emotional connection to help them through it.' Damned if you do, Damned if you don't.

But if you never talk about the hard things, you never get the opportunity to express them. You are always hiding a piece of yourself. And for some people that's fine. But it doesn't have to be fine for you simply because you fear it may harm someone. Nothing is inoffensive. Anything has the potential to hurt someone. Does it mean enough to you to risk it is the only real question. And it should.

My personal opinion is that leaning on social media can be a blessing and a curse. The distance from personal connection makes it so easy to talk about. Strangers on the internet allow you to say things you fear saying to your close friends/family. Things that may scare or worry them when you're having a particularly low moment. It also in a way allows you to say it to them indirectly. (You addressed all this in the video, I know.) And maybe pulling back from the internet a bit to have more in the moment one on one conversations will help a lot. Maybe medication will help. Maybe pulling back completely for a while will help. These decisions are yours, us as the audience can only support you or stop watching. I've read a lot of comments from young people saying you 'tricked them into thinking they were depressed or had depersonalization issues' But I don't think you romanticize it by addressing it. I don't think you cause depression in your audience  by having depression. You can't blame yourself if someone over-identifies with you. Or if they lean on your struggle to avoid theirs. You, just like everyone else in the world, are allowed to be human. In fact, at least from those of us who understand relating to an illness and having it are two different things, it's encouraged. Do whatver you have to do to feel better. I'll still be supporting you. ♡


nonono please don't stop talking about your mental health, i need someone talking about this since i deal with a bunch of the same things everyday and deal with trust issues and stuff and dodie you make me feel like im not alone and it doesn't trigger me it helps me feel loved. for a while i had no friends and you were my only friend and hearing about your mental health helps me, so please, if you feel you don't want to open up online anymore, that's okay. but you help me through a lot


People are mad when you overshare and allow people to see you down but people would also be mad if you were pretending not to be down. I don't see how you can ever please everyone. Live life for yourself, Dodie.


I think something that would be beneficial to you but still help the audience would be to film videos talking about how you feel, but not post them. You'd get put how you feel, which always seems to make me feel better, but you wouldn't be forcing your feelings onto such an impressional audience. I love you so much, dodie, and I know that eventually you will feel better. I used to be so depressed to the point where I attempted suicide, but now I'm in such an amazing place. I truly hope your pain eases soon.