As students, it’s almost inevitable that at some point in time we will undergo mental and emotional challenges as we go throughout school and life. Mental health is a powerful aspect of our identity, yet many people tend to avoid the topic and its discussion.
Mental health disorders can range from a variety of feelings or actions that may pertain to one person entirely different from others. One of the most common disorders amongst students is anxiety. According to a research study by the University of Michigan, around 37% of students have felt symptoms of anxiety.
Abby Lee (12) shares, “Many people think that anxiety is just feeling nervous, but it’s really much worse than that. It can affect you on the daily and cause you to feel like a disaster is waiting to happen.”
Another common, yet overlooked disorder is insomnia. Insomnia includes the irregular sleep cycles of our bodies. Up to about a third of students struggle with insomnia, and it has been proven that anxiety is a pivotal force, causing insomnia much of the time.
With homework, work, sports and extracurricular activities, students regularly already get insufficient sleep during the few hours they sleep at night or in the morning. As a result, sleep deprivation can heighten stress levels, irritability and lack of attention in classes.
Students are more vulnerable to mental health disorders because of the amount of pressure they face under the school system and additional extracurricular activities they may have. Exams like SATS, APs or CAT are a major force for making students feel good about themselves or not.
The routine agenda for many students can also make them more exposed to experiencing depression or lack of motivation to leave their house. With classes, sports and work, finding purpose to the routinely scheduled agenda may ultimately drain them and leave them with prolonged feelings of sadness.
Having any type of recurring issues in regards to one’s emotional and mental state is an indicator that one may need extra help. There are many outlets for students that can help facilitate their internal struggles: therapy, counselors and clubs are some of the methods that have helped students overcome their mental health issues.
“Going to therapy has helped me so much over these past few years,” shares Lucie Welch (12), “I used to find it really hard to regulate my own emotions and thoughts, so being able to receive professional help has benefitted me so much in the long run.”
Awareness and education of mental wellbeing is optimal in order to help mitigate it. By allowing ourselves to acknowledge our feelings and what we may struggle with, we can then pinpoint how to help ourselves the best way possible.
Especially in students, mental health issues are a common occurrence, but as long as we know our resources and seek help then students can combat these problems successfully.
