Fighting Isolation, 280 Characters at a Time
Desperate times call for desperate measures. So I joined Twitter.
Social media, we are relentlessly warned, is detrimental to one’s mental health. A simple cursory search reveals every major news and mental health organization commenting and reporting as much. Indeed, data and research tell us that social media users, especially children and teens, should be cautious of their digital presence, as it creates the risk of increased anxiety, peer pressure, bullying, and countless other issues. All that is true, and yes-situationally-people should use caution. There are millions of cautionary tales and viral mistakes to be found regarding the brave new digital frontier. It is enough to drive a sane person crazy.
But in my case, social media helps me keep the crazy at bay.
I was always one of those people eschewing and hateful towards social media. A private person and somewhat of a homebody even in the best of times, I never felt a pressing need to share every detail of every minute with the world. But in the past 18 months I have been on a strange and unexpected journey in life that changed that. A serious, life-threatening medical issue arose that changed my life forever.
The issue arose from complications of a surgery I had years ago, while on active…
