By ROBERT BOWEN
Sheridan High School Student
Editor’s Note: The Sheridan Student Column is brought to readers by Sheridan High School’s 10th grade English class, taught by Abby Williams.
Mental health is a big issue in today’s society. Generation Z, which is currently the youngest generation, has some of the worst mental health issues of any generation. There are many different types of mental illnesses and mental disabilities, including depression, anxiety, and ADHD. There are also some mental disabilities that have physical aspects, such as Tourette’s Syndrome.
A lot of people nowadays have suffered from at least one mental illness in their lifetime, and many people have been diagnosed with a mental disability at some point. Being aware of what causes these issues and how we can help those people can help those with mental issues get through whatever they are going through.
Not everyone who has mental health issues shows it. A lot of people try to hide their mental health issues, and that’s okay. Not everyone needs to know what others are going through. If someone feels the need for them to confide in another about their personal mental illnesses, that’s up to them.
If someone seems happy in public, that doesn’t mean that they are fine at home. Everyone deals with mental illness in different ways, and everyone deals with different severities of illness. No two people are going to have the same experience with depression, and it’s the same way for every other mental illness.
If someone discusses their mental health issues with you, it’s your responsibility to listen to what they have to say. If they ask you to not talk to anyone about it, then don’t. If they seem like they are dealing with their illness in an unhealthy way, talk to them about it first before assuming that they need help. Some people are very open with their mental health issues, which helps bring awareness to those who may not know much about mental illness. In many cases, the best way you can support someone with mental illness is by just showing you understand what they’re going through and that you care.
Mental disorders are also a big issue in today’s society. With improved technology, more people are able to get a diagnosis of disability, which can help them tremendously in making those people feel like there’s nothing wrong with them. Having a diagnosis can help with getting their life under control and allowing medication to be prescribed to help with those mental disorders.
People with mental disabilities can sometimes have difficulty fitting in, so it’s important that we as a society show them that they are important and that they are welcome. As someone who actively has at least one disability, having people still accept me as me has been amazing.
Mental health has been an important subject that has been getting improvements in research and treatment, but is also becoming harder to research because of the discovery of more and more different disabilities. It is important that as a society, anyone going through mental illness or mental disabilities knows they are welcome in any place they go. They should be able to experience everything that those who don’t have a disability or illness can.
It made sense to me when you said that we can help those people with mental issues get through whatever they are going through if we are aware of what causes mental health issues. With this in mind, I will consider shopping for books that talk about mental health. Most of my friends have been telling me that they have been experiencing the signs of depression due to various personal reasons, and I want to understand them well.
I agree with what you said that if your friend has opened up about their mental health issues with you, it’s your responsibility as a friend to listen to support them. My roommate Kyla has social anxiety, so she barely goes out of our apartment. I let her know that I am always here to listen to her. Moreover, I also try to encourage her to get professional help from a mental health clinic.