We all complain about how stressed we are and how much pressure we’re under and how terrible school is and how it’s ruining our lives. But the time in high school is actually really hard, and sometimes it’s less of an exaggeration than a reality. And high school is actually a really fragile time for our mental health. It’s not really a surprise that many high school students are diagnosed to mental illnesses, such as, ADHD, depression, anxiety, because we ARE going through “changes”. I know that even alluding to “changes” makes everyone uncomfortable, but with puberty comes a change in our brain chemistry. Which, in the case of ADHD and depression, is all they are, dysfunctional brain chemistry that causes us to have a change in our feelings or in our attention spans. The changes aren’t all physical either, we also have changes in our academic lives and our personal lives. We’re dealing with the stress of school and sports and the pressure from parents and teachers, and the changes in relationships and ourselves.

Unfortunately, many cases go undiagnosed and can lead to unforeseen consequences. We’re in high school, and due to peer pressure, embarrassment, or whatever, we are less likely to seek help and share these illnesses. There’s a social stigma against mental illness, and that scares some of us. Fear that we may lose friends, fear that we may be bullied, fear that we may be judged. And I’m not saying that we should just go and blab to everyone and scream to the world that we have depression or bipolar disorder or whatever, but seeking help is nothing to be afraid of, in fact, you may feel better after you confess to a friend. And being open and honest, is something to be encouraged instead of being scorned. It’ll feel like a weight being lifted off of your shoulders.