Mental health is a huge issue that is impacting teenagers not just at APHS, but around the world. In light of this, the media team has explored the true impact of mental illness in young people.
Too many people, not seeking help for mental illness seems nonsensical and illogical. If someone is restricted by an obstacle that is affecting the way their brain functions or the way their body carries out simple tasks, the apparent thing to do would be to reach out to try and grasp a solution to this ongoing problem, plain and simple. But for many teenagers, this is not the case. On the contrary, many choose to instead confine these feelings of confusion and distress in hopes that if they shove them down far enough, they will cease to linger as a burden to their everyday lives. Though even if we can acknowledge that this is not a sustainable way to handle the emotions that are constantly weaving through the minds of the youth, they are not to blame for these ideologies. In fact, if we want to scrutinize anything, it should be the root of the issue, which is none other than those on common social networks that feed teenagers self-disparaging content, and pernicious views amplified by society.
Mental health in teenagers has always been a controversial topic. Is it just the effects of growing up and experiencing new things, or is there really something serious to be worried about? It is this mindset that is part of the reason many teenagers are afraid to come forward. Fear of judgement, of dismissal, of being accused of “self-diagnosing” or “looking for attention”. The perspective of “mental illness” has become so distorted by the media that many times when an emotional teenager tries to speak out, instead of receiving support, they are thrust into a whirlpool of hateful comments and people trying to tell them how they really feel, that it's just a phase and they need to fortify themselves because “being sensitive doesn’t get you anywhere.” These philosophies being spread and taught to younger generations is only further incriminating teens' mental health by making them assume they’re just overreacting over trivial issues.
Teens at two different high schools were asked to fill in a questionnaire about mental illness, and a certain quote regarding the reason for not coming forward about such issues seemed to be recurring. “I just thought I was my kind of normal.”, many said. This is a ubiquitous effect seen in social media, where teens get recommended the content they relate to, many times being about personal experiences or emotions, and find solace in the fact others associate with them. This is undeniably a good thing, but when teens find themselves with no drive or motivation to get themselves out of these dark places as they see others and think it is normal to think or feel like this, it takes on a bigger toll than we can imagine. This is also shown through the quote “There’s like a part of me that wants help and a part that doesn’t.”, also making multiple appearances. This shows the fear of coming forward and being subjected to changing their routine of thinking or lifestyle that they have become so accustomed to that they can’t imagine any other way of living, of coming forward and having to deal with the attention and perusal directed towards their mind.
This misapprehension in the idea that having a mental illness is something ‘cordial’, something that is to be regarded without a second thought, as if it is not the leading cause of suicide among people aged 15-24, is deeply and unsettlingly troubling to observe and is causing teenagers to believe they don’t really have mental illness and that there is no point in coming forward, or that if they do, they will have to isolate themselves from the things that make them who they are and provide them with a sense of stability that they may not have access to in other areas of their life.
Mental health in teens is so overshadowed in society that one in three teens suffering from these mental conditions never reach out to seek professional help, which becomes extremely alarming when we realise that one in twelve teenagers experience severe anxiety, and one in twenty, depression. These both significantly affect a teenager's schooling and grades, their thought processes, and their overall health, all incredibly important factors that are going to help them shape the world and take on another generation.
Untreated mental health conditions have been shown to lead to substance abuse, incarceration, and suicide, all of which are extremely frowned upon in society, and anyone falling into these categories is deemed as ‘perilous’ or ‘boorish’, so in what case scenario can teenagers really win? Is shutting down talk of mental illness and treating it like a topic that should be sheltered from children really helping teens preserve themselves, or is it causing them to feel unwanted in an environment they should be able to feel safe and expressive? These teenagers are rotting in their rooms, becoming a shell of the person they once were, all because society is making them feel as though they should be ashamed or disgusted with the untameable thoughts that plague their minds. This just gives rise to relentless judgement from opinionated people who have made no effort to offer help or understand them, making teens want to shield themself from the world or put up a facade while they are being eaten from the inside out by this presence of overwhelming sentiment.
Mental illness is needed to be handled with impartiality and care, especially when it occurs in the growing, impressionable minds of teenagers. It is crucial for them to have a reliable source of understanding and respect when they choose to talk about their inner turmoil, one that won’t try and tell them they are crazy or that this isn’t normal. By working on the way we understand people with mental illness, and looking inwards as to why we may perceive it the way we do, we will finally be able to live in a world of emotional intelligence and empathy, and maybe suffering teenagers will feel more comfortable about coming out about mental illness.
We reached out to a number of APHS students regarding whether more awareness should be raised about mental health. This is what they had to say:
Teachers;
"Why do you think teenagers these days might be afraid of coming forward about mental illness?"
"The stigma, embarrassment from their friends, fear of being judged, and yeah..that's about it."
"Why do you think teenagers may be scared about coming forward about their mental illness?"
"I think it has to do with the support that is lacking, maybe from adults. Adults have a big role to play in supporting young people to talk and be open about it, also probably the way media portrays mental health isn't as supportive for young people."
Students;
"Do you think mental health awareness should be more relevant at Albion Park High School?"
"Yes..I feel like mental health should be a more relevant thing because like, we're teenagers, we have social media, and it impacts it a lot. And so many people suffer with it, it needs to be talked about more."
"Do you think enough awareness has been raised about mental illness?"
"No..because it's not taken seriously because people just assume they have depression and think 'oh, okay.' People also may be afraid to speak out because they think that they'll be put in the hospital, or they might be viewed differently."
As teenagers ourselves, we think that it is time to remove the stigma surrounding mental health and continue to bring light to a darkness that plagues so many young people. Let's ensure that all young people feel safe and comfortable to talk about mental health. Let's train young people to understand their own mental health. Let's empower the APHS community to really make a difference.
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