School of Thought 2.0 (Logo by Parkersburg South High School student Rayna Short)
Student introduction: “School of Thought” was written by Riley Kearns, a sophomore at Parkersburg South High School. Riley is a creative member of his writing team and enjoys painting, reading, traveling, and spending time with his family.
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Mental health is a topic that is not always easy to talk about. It's just my generation that we're becoming more aware and speaking out about mental health. 20, 40, and over 60 years ago, people didn't take talking about illnesses like depression and anxiety seriously. It's still a difficult topic to talk about, so many people don't realize it, but children are dealing with mental health issues every day. More than 2.7 million children live with severe to major depression. Sixty percent of young people with major depression do not receive mental health treatment.
Depression and anxiety can take a toll on your body as well as your brain. These things can drain your child's energy. You may find yourself putting less effort into school than you used to, and completing small assignments may seem like too much effort. These kids may seem lazy or give up easily, but their bodies and brains are actually telling them that they're doing too much and are really exhausted. Not taking your child seriously or noticing the signs can lead to the mistaken impression that your child is lazy or a troublemaker. Several things can cause depression and anxiety in children. Traumatic events and poor parenting are major causes of depression, but these are often ignored.
Thanks to the internet and the resources we have access to, bullying has become a huge problem in today's generation. People can and do single-handedly ruin a person's reputation simply by saying or posting something online. Children who experience bullying are two to nine times more likely to take their own life than children who are not bullied. Most children tend not to speak up or talk about what is bothering them, resulting in them pushing their feelings aside and not dealing with them.
There are preconceptions in people's heads about what people with depression are like. Sad, not taking care of themselves, crying all the time, having suicidal thoughts, etc. However, people with depression may always smile, laugh, know how to have fun, take care of themselves and act as if nothing is wrong. Everyone is different, but it's important not to simply ignore someone because they're not up to the task.
Let's talk a little bit about men and mental health. Like everyone else, men and boys suffer from depression, but they are often looked down upon and called weak for having such feelings. Stereotypes suggest that men are tough and emotionless, but this is far from the truth. It's so sad that people refuse to normalize men's mental health. It is estimated that in 2022, 19.7% of men in the United States will have some form of mental illness. The most common mental health problem in men is anxiety. In a study reported by the Newport Institute, 77% of men surveyed reported experiencing symptoms of typical mental health problems, such as sadness, stress, and anxiety. 40% of men have never talked to anyone about their mental health. There is a 20% claim “Negative prejudice” 29% said they were interested in the topic “Too embarrassing” To talk about it. These men have been taught that feeling emotions like sad is shameful and not okay, but I want to say that it's okay not to be okay. Stand up for yourself and get the help you need and deserve.
Although there is no evidence yet to support this, some argue that depression goes through stages similar to sadness. Millions of people around the world suffer from depression and other mental health disorders, and these should be taken more seriously. Children die every day from something out of their control.
Make a difference in someone's life by making sure they are safe and not hiding behind closed doors. To all the kids out there who are struggling with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, and thousands of other mental health issues, if you're reading this, you're alone. Not.
