By Mandi Em of Healthy Living for Hot Messes

With the rising costs of healthcare, and the many gaps in the mental health system, one West Virginian woman is getting creative when it comes to obtaining therapy by taking to the comment section of memes.

Janice Dixon, a 36-year-old beauty consultant, says she stumbled upon this somewhat unorthodox method of treatment by accident, when she saw a meme about moms who shop at Target.

“I was triggered by this meme because my own mother used to make us sell our stuff when we were kids, to fund her obsession with buying pig figurines from discount stores.” Janice states that once she took to the comments, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

“It’s almost like counseling, but infinitely more accessible and loads cheaper,” Janice says. Once she started, she just couldn’t stop.

“Wine mom memes, and memes about moms wanting a few minutes alone, are really where I let it all free,” she states, her eyes beginning to well up a little. “These things stir up some deep-seated issues I have, and I find making it about me and airing my feelings in a public forum to be deeply validating.”

Her advice to others who may be looking for a little low cost therapy? Just scroll until you see something that you can project your issues on.

“It doesn’t even have to be memes,” she advises. “I find I get an equal amount of cathartic release from venting about articles that I haven’t actually read; just the title can be enough inspiration to fuel the fire.”

When asked for opinions from popular meme accounts, many refused to comment on the validity of Dixon’s claims, and a few just sent back a photo of a moth throwing an iPhone into a wastebasket that was curiously on fire.

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About the Author

Mandi Em is the content creator for Healthy Living for Hot Messes, a healthy-ish humor and adulting blog. Mandi can usually be found whining about her kids on Twitter and posting pictures of her food and nonsense on Instagram, and Facebook.