The Most-Googled Mental Health Symptoms in Each State

Before visiting a doctor for a medical diagnosis, many people turn to Google to learn more about symptoms like sweaty palms, back pain, and morning sickness. But physical ailments aren't the only conditions people are self-diagnosing on the web—the map below from TermLife2Go shows the most-Googled mental health symptoms by state.

For this report, the life insurance agency compiled a list of the common mental health conditions from sources like NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness), TalkSpace, and MentalHealth.gov and used Google Trends to determine which symptoms people are searching for.

TermLife2Go found that social media and internet addiction, major depressive disorder, and memory loss were the most-Googled mental health terms from the past year, with one of the three conditions topping search results in 13 states. In Alaska, where some northern residents deal with constant darkness during the winter, people are searching for seasonal affective disorder. Financial stress is the most searched-for mental health symptom in New York, which also happens to be one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S.

Whether your medical symptoms are mental or physical, it's always better to consult a professional rather than rely on the internet for help. But if you can't resist asking Google about what ails you, there is a right way to search for your symptoms—learn more here.