How Quitting Facebook Helped Relieve My Depression And Made Me A Better Friend
At first, quitting Facebook was insanely difficult. I had been on Facebook since its inception, and developed
social habits centered on the platform.
By Vanessa Rasanen
Social media can help foster friendships and keep us connected to loved ones. When people insisted it couldn’t replace face-to-face, in-person conversation, I scoffed, responding with anecdotes of how many of my friends needed it to keep in touch when the military moved them from place to place.
When folks warned that social media was likely exacerbating my depression, I shook my head, pointing to my support just a click away. When my husband suggested I spent too much time on my accounts and should consider deactivating, I insisted I needed the outlet for an escape from the stress of work and home, of life in general.
My husband had indeed been encouraging me to consider ditching social media — Facebook specifically — for years, especially after my postpartum depression. But he would always concede when I gave the above reasons for needing to stay.
Then one day my depression hit a new low, sending my mind whirling with thoughts of driving my car off an overpass to spare my family the hassle of having me failing them all the time. I realized something had to give. I was on medication, in counseling, and still struggling. I needed to do whatever I could for my mental health. So I took my husband’s advice, and left.
Taking It a Day at a Time
Sort of. Since I run an Etsy shop with a Facebook business page, I couldn’t leave completely, but I could come pretty close. I set up a second account as an admin for the page, deactivated my personal account, and deleted the Facebook app. I kept messenger active so I could remain in touch with friends for whom I didn’t have other contact info.
At first, it was insanely difficult. I had been on Facebook since its inception. For more than a decade I had been an active user, posting pictures of my family and travels, staying in touch with friends, making new friends, and keeping up with current events through my feed. Suddenly I felt cut off, and it felt wrong. But I knew it was for my own good. I had to adjust my habits, but the benefits outweighed any of the negatives.
full story at http://thefederalist.com/2018/01/02/quitting-facebook-helped-relieve-depression-made-better-friend/