There are hundreds of physicians with a presence on YouTube. They dish out advice, medical information, and medical education. If you have any question about a condition there is probably a doctor who has covered it, although some conditions are more popular than others. One thing I have never heard was a doctor advising viewers to take drugs willy-nilly without an underlying condition or an examination. There is more to the Internet than YouTube, however and social media has plenty of charlatans. Social media influencers on TikTok, Instagram and elsewhere, with no medical background, often encourage followers to take prescription drugs.
The Wall Street Journal reported on social media influencers encouraging followers to take antidepressants as a lifestyle accessory:
Corinne Byerley, a stay-at-home mom, recalled days when she felt lonely, overwhelmed and, at times, paralyzed with anxiety and self-doubt.
Byerley, who had neither health insurance nor money for psychotherapy, said she was intrigued hearing a former MTV star talk up Lexapro on a podcast in 2023. She searched for the drug on TikTok, her go-to information source, and found #lexaprotok and similar niche online communities, where women in their 20s and 30s praised the benefits of antidepressants.
And then there is the dark side of taking medical advice from an influencer with no medical background. Influencers are always on the lookout for content that may attract an audience. And they do not just get paid for advertisements viewed by followers; they also get paid sponsorships. Influencers are often paid to pitch products. A drug company and / or a telemedicine can sponsor an influencer with sketchy sales pitches that no doctor would consider. More from WSJ:
She posted a video asking for help, and someone recommended Hers, a telehealth company. Byerley answered a questionnaire, and an online nurse practitioner prescribed a generic version of Lexapro. A bottle arrived days later.
Millennial and GenZ influencers, some paid by telehealth companies, evangelize antidepressants on TikTok and Instagram using such hashtags as #livelaughlexapro, #lexaprogirly, #lexaho and #zoloftgang, recasting the medications as pop-culture touchstones.
It has made an enormous difference in terms of media exposure for antidepressants.
On TikTok, #antidepressants has surpassed 1.3 billion views. Views for #lexapro have more than tripled since 2022, surpassing 500 million, according to an analysis of data from analytics firm Exolyt by The Wall Street Journal. User shares per video tagged #ssri also nearly quadrupled from 2022 to 2025.
As one would expect from taking medical advice from influencers with nonmedical backgrounds, the results do not always turn out well.
Byerley, 34, touted benefits of the medicine, but later felt emotionally numb, had brain fog and a loss of libido, she said.
People who were quick to tout the benefits of antidepressants on TikTok are often slow to reveal side effects and problems they did not anticipate.
Byerley held off telling followers for months, reluctant to acknowledge her faded sex life and embarrassed about gaining weight.
Antidepressant use skyrocketed during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The increase was especially pronounced among young women in their 20s and 30s. Often touted as magic elixirs, but the result is often less than advertised.
Only 15% of people with major depression experienced a substantial benefit from taking antidepressants beyond the placebo effect of pills that look like real medication, a 2022 study found. The findings were based on participants in 232 antidepressant randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials submitted by drug developers to the Food and Drug Administration from 1979 to 2016.
Americans tend to pathologize sadness, normal anxiety and the routine stress of life. Overuse of antidepressants, after being influenced by social media, is just another example. Many find the experience numbing as the drugs not only dampen negative emotions but also positive ones. Social media medical education from real doctors can be a godsend of quality information a patient’s personal physician would never have time to discuss. The key is to listen to real doctors and then discuss the information with one’s personal physician rather than an influencer on TikTok.
Read more WSJ: ‘Girl, Take Your Crazy Pills!’ Antidepressants Recast as a Hot Lifestyle Accessory
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