Public Service Announcement

Do you or someone you know suffer from BID? There is help for you.

Blog-Induced Depression (BID) is a completely treatable disorder when addressed in its early stages. BID is most prevalent among women ages 20-75 who frequent the Internet and hop from blog to blog, reading about other peoples' seemingly perfect lives. BID worsens when these women believe that blog posts represent the totality of that author's life. In its most common state BID is sometimes referred to as envy or unequal comparison.

Although BID is most commonly found in women, men are subject to the disease and should not feel they are immune. It is common for men to be less willing to talk about their disorder and therefore the women in their lives should approach their illness with care and compassion. The symptoms in men, however, may be less dramatic since men are able to dodge the emotion more artfully than women.

Signs and symptoms may include: a compulsive need to check one's google reader frequently throughout the day, pondering on blog posts to the point of feeling inadequate and unsatisfied with one's own life, wondering why one's life isn't as rosy and full of adventure as those who have glorious blogposts, spending inordinate amounts of time on sites that include blogspot or wordpress in the address, attempting to change one's usual mannerisms to mimic those read about on another's blog, and desiring to escape reality and join the fairy land that is another's blog. Other signs and symptoms may present them self and are subject to personal translation.

BID is closely associated with, but not the same as BIOCD (Blog-Induced Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), which can lead to an incessant need to check up on one's blog roll more than 16-18 times per hour. (Basically, it's like normal OCD, only with BI in front of it.)

Those suffering with BID or BIOCD should seek treatment immediately. When treated in their early stages they can be overcome. As with any recovery program, don't attempt to solve the problem on your own. Please consult your own conscience or seek the help of a trained professional to find the program that works for you. Once you realize that said blogs should be used to inspire and incite into action rather than defeat, you will achieve the sanity you seek and deserve.

Successful methods of treatment may include but are not limited to: enjoying one's children (in all their stages and moods), finding joy in the everyday details of life, savoring the moment, accepting that the mundane is normal, and loving one's spouse in spite of any imperfections.

Once the individual is in recovery or remission, friends and family members should be sensitive and not expose the former BID sufferer to extended bouts of blog-stalking. Relapse is a dangerous and realistic possibility for the individual with BID.

If you are suffering from BID, there is hope for you. You can be treated and return to a happy and satisfied life, free from the burdensome comparisons and envyings. Believe me, I know. I formerly suffered from BID am I am now a BID SURVIVOR, enjoying a full and rich existence. If you are in need of help, don't wait- there are people ready to assist you.