Instagram is known for glamorous depictions of life that often fail to reflect reality, and the pressure to live an Insta-worthy life has given it a reputation for harming mental health. But behind the glitz and glamour of influencers’ feeds, there are thriving communities on Instagram filled with people supporting one another through their mental health journeys
Jennifer Robins
She focuses on home and decorating, with photos of her beautiful home and DIY projects, but keeps it real by sharing her struggles with mental health
- After having her first child, Jennifer suffered from a severe case of postpartum depression and continues to live with depression and anxiety. She started sharing her story on Instagram.
Lesley-Ann
Opened up to her Instagram followers about her PTSD
- Hope that her account will let her followers know they’re not alone and that they can share their struggles with others
- Shares her story for her own personal growth
- More confident to speak out and stop feeling ashamed of her past
Alyssa DeRose
Struggled with anxiety throughout her adult life, and during her first pregnancy, it worsened to debilitating prenatal anxiety
- After giving birth, she dealt with postpartum depression for almost a year before she realized that her suffering wasn’t normal.
- She sought professional help, began taking medication and has been living a happy and healthy life since.
Michaela’s Motto
As a dancer, Michaela Bell struggled with body image and anorexia
- She broke the cycle through counseling, a strong support system and self-discovery
- Now, she is a personal trainer and nutrition coach, and shares fitness and nutrition advice on Instagram
Francesca Rose
Her feed is filled with colorful food photos, crafted from her original vegan recipes
- In addition to healthy recipes, she encourages a healthy relationship with food, as she has been in recovery from anorexia, orthorexia and exercise addiction for the last 10 years
Joanna Konstantopoulou
A registered Health Psychologist in the United Kingdom, Joanna specializes in the intersection of physical and mental health
- She posts mental health tips, nutrition advice, and encouraging quotes
- Her biggest piece of mental health advice? Prioritize self-care
- “Self-care is a vital part of our emotional and physiological health,” she tells Verywell. “It’s not a luxury, it’s a basic human right.”
Running in Triangles
Vanessa started her website and Instagram account, Running In Triangles, because she realized she couldn’t be the mom who posted glittery crafts and gourmet recipes on her other social media accounts.
- After giving birth to her second child, Vanessa was diagnosed with postpartum depression and continues to manage episodes of depression through a combination of medication and therapy.
Sara-Jayne Poletti
In a Catholic household, talking about mental illness was taboo
- When she decided to seek professional help as an adult, she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and later, post-traumatic stress disorder
- She uses her Instagram feed to be as authentic as possible so that people can see a well-rounded version of someone living-and thriving-with mental illness
Beth Brawley
A Licensed Professional Counselor, Beth specializes in treating disorders like anxiety, OCD, and body-focused repetitive behaviors.
- On Instagram, she shares encouraging handwritten quotes and advice and ends each post with a reminder that she believes in her followers and their ability to conquer their struggles.
Bianca L. Rodriguez
She focuses on the spiritual side of mental health in order to “teach people how to connect with and harness their intuition to become the fullest most badass version of themselves.”
- Through her Instagram account, she has found a community of like-minded souls around the world.
- Her message to her followers: you are complete.
Roxanne Emery
After a long battle with mental health issues and addiction, Roxanne is now launching a music career as her alter ego Røry.
- Her Instagram account celebrates self-love and body positivity, and she openly shares her struggles with mental Health, alcoholism, and sobriety.
Self-Love and Self-Care
Kate has a cute animal to do it for you
Diandra Moreira
Society’s obsession with skinny influenced Diandra’s relationship with food
- She started her recovery account when she felt she had hit rock bottom
- In order to kickstart the healing process, she needed to be completely honest with herself and with others
- This honesty has worked for Diandra
Still Blooming Me PTSD
“I am a busy mom, devoted wife, and caring friend,” Elena Breese tells Verywell. “And I am also a Boston Marathon bombing survivor living with PTSD.”
- She lived with debilitating symptoms for three years before she was voluntarily hospitalized and diagnosed with PTSD.
- Her experience in the hospital led her to start her blog (along with an Instagram account), Still Blooming My PTSD.
Marcela Sabiá
Brazilian artist posts original illustrations that encourage a positive relationship with mental health
- She is candid about her struggles with depression and anxiety, shares her experiences taking medication, and encourages body positivity and self-love
- Want to make social media a place of support and honesty, rather than a toxic space for mental health
That Sappy Sappy Writer
Akanksha originally started her account as a platform to share her poetry, but she began to steer her content toward sharing her experience with anxiety
Kate Speer
CEO of The Dogist
- Shares candid photos of her psychiatric service dog, Waffle, and honest portrayals of her life with depression
- Reminds us that it is okay to share our struggles and ask for help
- “Asking for help is the door that lets our people in.”
Sarah Ashley Martin
Nine years ago, Sarah almost lost her life to a suicide attempt. Now, she is the director of a youth treatment center and advocates in the state government for those suffering from addiction and mental health issues.
- Addiction looks different for everyone-someone could be struggling even if they don’t look like the stereotype of an “addict”.
Mari Stracke
After being diagnosed with depression and anxiety and trying different medications and therapies, Mari decided to start blogging about mental health.
- Blogging and posting to Instagram became a cathartic way for her to deal with her struggles. She knows that social media can be filled with negativity, but she says the community she’s found through Instagram is stronger than the individuals who criticize and try to bring others down.
Miss Calathea
Sarah began posting about her plants and mental health while in a psychiatric clinic during her last depressive episode
- At first, she was surprised to learn that many members of the plant community of Instagram also experience mental health issues
- Now, it makes sense to her-caring for plants can be therapeutic
Jera Foster-Fell
She opens up about learning to be okay with weight gain, mild freakouts about hairy toes, and struggling with social anxiety.
- One of the beautiful things about Instagram is that it allows us to connect with others and feel less alone, which is especially important for invisible struggles like mental illness.
Kelsey Lindell
She shares snippets of her life as a yoga instructor and preschool teacher in Minneapolis, with activities that range from getting pizza at Domino’s to attending influencer conferences.
- In her posts, Lindell discusses mental health and shares her recovery from a suicide attempt that led her to spend time in a psychiatric clinic.
Colleen Reichmann
A licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of individuals with eating disorders, and has experienced an eating disorder herself
- On Instagram, she shares advice and encouragement related to eating disorder recovery and healthier relationships with food and our bodies
- Mental health struggles are normal-even therapists need help sometimes
Christina Wolfgram
Laughter is the best form of self-care
- Started as a comedy account, but now posts comedy content with the intention of making others struggling with mental illness know they’re not alone
- Receiving comments and messages from other people like her made her feel less alone
Anxiety Sugar
Instagram can have negative effects on mental health, but for Amy, the platform has been empowering
- Her feed is filled with flowers, books, coffee, and encouraging quotes, paired with honest accounts of her journey with mental health issues.
- As her account grew, so did the community itself, and now, they all support one another in their recovery journeys.
