Having mental health issues does not stop you from succeeding in school, work, and sports. In whatever you want. And yet, if we don’t work on our mental health issues, they will limit us. 

Most people ignore the mental health issue that surround us. They talk about mental health issues in general, but not about their own.  

But this is a real problem that we need to talk about. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “More than a third (37%) of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 44% reported they persistently felt sad or hopeless during the past year.”

I wanted to write this article because I feel like I may not be the only one who can relate to going through troubling things in their mental health. I may not be the only one who had to suffer in silence: crying all the time, sleeping problems, not wanting to get out of bed, not eating, losing weight, and difficulty focusing. 

 I’m not the only one. I know kids who are going through what I went through, and their parents may not notice because they are too busy with work, other children, bills, etc. So it’s like in the kids’ heads that are going through this, to them it’s like no one cares; they are not heard when they speak up. And everyone has to start acknowledging this more often.  

Experts recognize that teens are under a lot of pressure.  According to MedlinePlus, “Being a teenager is hard. You’re under stress to be liked, do well in school, get along with your family, and make big decisions. You can’t avoid most of these pressures, and worrying about them is normal. But feeling very sad, hopeless or worthless could be warning signs of a mental health problem.” 

In my opinion mental health problems don’t just typically go away. Anxiety, depression, and those type of things just don’t leave you. 

When you feel like you are ready to open up about what you are going through with your mental health, sometimes you may be able to talk with people you trust. Sooner or later there are going to be those wonderful people by your side, supporting you, making sure you’re okay, taking time with you step-by-step. 

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends talking for those with concerns: “ If you have, or believe you may have, mental health problem, it can be helpful to talk about these issues with others.” HHS also points out, “Most people with mental health problems can get better.” 

In  my opinion when it came to Covid times, it caused a lot of things to go wrong. We were stuck in the house, had money problems, and felt family disconnect. I get that it caused most of us to fall apart, feel like we had nothing to hold onto. And this caused us to fall into that deep dark hole. But what I am saying is, at the end of the day we all need a hug, to joke, etc., to put a smile on our face. To let us know at the end of the day, don’t push yourself too hard because you have to trust that you’re going to get there and you still have the strength and ability to just do. 

From the Editors: 

Proviso East offers support in the building. Please reach out to your assigned social worker listed below if you are in need of help. 

Grade 9: Derian Aguirre – Room 105 

Grade 10: Carol Murchison – Room 125 

Grade 11: Amy Santino – Room 101 

Grade 12: Hannah McCarthy – Room 138 

Diverse Learners: Mandy Ross 

If you are a student and need immediate social-emotional support, go to support4u.live and click on your school icon to text anonymously with a mental health professional. You can also text 1-844-670-5838. 

If you or a loved one are having a life-threatening mental health emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room. 

If you or a loved one are having thoughts of suicide, call the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988.