YouTuber Cole LaBrant upset fans everywhere on January 23 when he tweeted that mental illness could be cured by hanging out with good people and changing your diet. Yes, you heard that correctly.

The family vlogger took to Twitter to share his personal opinions on mental health, saying, “Imma be real for a sec, Our society loves the ‘do whatever you want’ mentality & believes there’s no consequences for our actions, yet wonders why everyone’s struggling from crippling anxiety & depression. This world & it’s lies will suffocate you. Freedom is found in Jesus alone.”

Unfortunately, he didn’t stop there. The YouTube star also gave suggestions on how one could conquer their mental illness, and to say it went over poorly on social media would be a major understatement.

In a since-deleted tweet, he wrote, “To those of you saying depression & anxiety are a result of a chemical imbalance in your brain, try this: Surround yourself with good ppl, work out more, breathe, drink more water, eat more fruit/veg, make ur bed, shower more, get more sun, get off ur phone, stop drinking/using rec. drugs.”

Of course, those who suffer with mental illness IRL know that it’s not that simple, and they took to Twitter to let the 22-year-old know that his opinions on the subject are downright harmful.

One Twitter user wrote, “Yikes. I’ve always enjoyed your videos but as someone who struggles with mental health issues this is really disappointing to read. It is very ignorant to state that mental health issues are a direct result of not following Christian beliefs.”

Another person echoed those sentiments, saying, “You are so dangerous giving advice like this. Mental illness IS the result of a CHEMICAL IMBALANCE. Not something that can be cured by ‘eating more kale.’ To anyone struggling, mental illness is not your fault. You are loved & please only take advice of MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.”

Honestly, they make a pretty great point, and whether you agree with Cole or not, we can pretty much all agree that Cole is in no position to dish out medical advice — especially if he’s going to downplay the science behind why people struggle with anxiety and depression. This ain’t it, Cole. This ain’t it.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Youth Crisis Hotline at 1-800-448-4663.

 

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