In the past, I wrote a column about mental health, yet, mental health is such a broad subject. I believe it needs much more than just one column.
So, given that I have the opportunity to speak out and be the voice of my peers, I’d like to bring attention to all those students who have panic attacks, anxiety attacks and mental breakdowns regarding the mere mention of school and the strain it brings.
I’ve noticed among my friends and fellow students that it is not uncommon to become overwhelmed in the morning before school starts. Many students might choose to take a day off for mental health reasons.
School is, as I’ve mentioned before, quite fast-paced. Being tossed into an environment with so many subjects and the pressure to succeed in most, if not all of them, tends to bring on a gruelling amount of stress.
Expectations for students continue to grow, and unfortunately, can lead to bouts of depression, anxiety and panic attacks.
Furthermore, I would like to touch on some of the common struggles of being a student with anxiety.
Social anxiety can be an exhausting thing when it comes to school. It can hinder us from moving forward in our education, making it difficult to do even the simplest of tasks.
Some may not be able to ask questions because they’re too embarrassed to speak. Others may find it hard to ask their teacher for worksheets.
These things may seem easy to someone without social anxiety, but if we put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, they may feel like monumental obstacles.
Some students may have difficulty just being around people. They may have a sense of vulnerability, discomfort or panic when among the waves of students in the hallways.
Being a teenager is difficult; we are so often misunderstood. And when it comes down to these issues that threaten our mental state as well our how we view our reality, we feel isolated.
Our mental breakdowns over stress should not be thrown aside and labelled as a common side effect of high school and that we should “get over it.” We have barriers we must overcome. Everyone deserves the opportunity to be heard, understood and helped. We need to keep in mind that we are not alone in these situations and that our peers may understand us more than we think.
Communication with teachers, and support from friends and from family can be a step forward toward fixing the problem. With time, help and hard work, perhaps we can break our patterns of anxiety and live a more worry-free life.
Macy How is a grade 10 student at Brooks Secondary School.
