Mental health awareness shines a light on how mental illnesses can affect people in their daily lives. It’s important to know what to do or ways to help people with mental illness. Many people struggle with their mental health but lots don’t show it. It’s estimated that between 30 and 80 percent of people who have a mental illness don’t seek help. There are many types of mental illness that affect people differently.
There are many different ways to learn and be informed about mental health. Gracie Smith and Ella Pate are both juniors here at Greenwood High School. Gracie Smith said, “People post about it all the time.” And Ella Pate said, “I just heard about it over announcements.” Most calendars have something about it whether it’s a certain day or the whole month. Kayleigh Richards, a freshman at Greenwood High School, also said she hears about mental health online on social media. To learn about mental health and be reminded of it is pretty easy. People can Google any questions they have, can find information about it online, and people can talk to someone, such as a counselor, about it. There are also many helplines for people to call or text if they are struggling with their mental health. The helplines are very important and have helped hundreds of people, although not many know about them. Pate, Coleman, and Smith didn’t know any but they knew you could Google them if needed. Richards however did know one. Richards said, “I think it’s 988 but I’m not sure.” The number 988 is one of the many hotlines you can call. Even though she knew one she wasn’t super confident in her answer. There are many different hotlines you can call including, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), and 988. People can also text MHA to 741741. Also anyone can call 911 to get help if they are struggling with a serious form of mental illness, or if they need help.
Everyone has different thoughts and perspectives on mental health and mental illnesses. Their perspectives are not wrong or correct, it’s just how people feel. To Coleman “mental health is something that probably most people struggle with, and it’s something you need to take care of, and can’t avoid.” Richards felt the same way she said, “It’s probably one of the most important things especially in middle school and high school, and it’s something that you should get help for if you are struggling.” They both feel that it’s important. Smith said the first thing that came to her mind was depression, and she thinks many people struggle with it too. Pate said that she just thinks about “well being.” Mental illnesses can affect people in other ways too, like it can make people sick. There are many coping mechanisms that can help people too. Both Pate and Smith said that some helpful coping strategies are to just take a walk or a run. Also both Richards and Coleman said that it’s important to not be alone and just talk to someone. There are many other coping mechanisms besides what they suggested–such as eating healthy, getting enough sleep, staying connected with people, and doing relaxing activities. It’s always important to take mental illnesses seriously and to seek help if needed.
Most people think mental illnesses are depression and anxiety but there are more than that. Smith said that she thinks “a lot of teens our age and at our school struggle with body image, and people making fun of other people.” Richards thinks that teens also struggle with being included in things, and that can cause them to think differently about themselves. And Coleman also thinks that anxiety is also a big problem with teens. All of these can affect a person’s mental health, and all should be taken seriously. About ⅕ of adults struggle with mental health and about ½ teens struggle with some form of mental illness. Richards said, “I think that most of the school probably has a mental illness but they don’t seek help, and that’s never the answer.” Coleman, Pate and Smith all said very similar things about how they think the majority of the school has problems with their mental health but most of them don’t seek help.
It’s always important to seek help if you are struggling with your mental health. There are always people to help you and listen to you. And no matter what you are going through you are never alone. There is always someone who can help and there are people struggling just like you. It’s important to know about mental health so if you or someone you know is struggling you will know what to do.