Mental Health

By Grayson Dickinson

How can students cope with stress? Many students deal with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental illnesses that we aren’t even aware of. Every ⅕ students has a mental illness. So how do you cope with that? How can you make your life better in order to not feel alone all the time? We interviewed both students and Counselors about mental health. (students will remain anonymous for their privacy and therefore referred as Student #) And how to deal with anxiety, depression, and stress. Here’s what we learned.

Many students face similar problems when it comes to anxiety and depression. Student 3 says, “It has affected me in a way that in class I get nervous, I get anxious to the point where I can’t breathe. Or I feel like throwing up.” Student 2 states that, “ It basically makes my life really hard all the time. It makes having fun a hard thing to achieve, and when good things happen it’s hard to enjoy them.” Both of these students daily lives are affected by anxiety and depression. These students suffer with both anxiety and depression. Having these mental illnesses have taught them, “I can endure a lot, I know that I can push through things. I’ve survived 100% of my worst days and that keeps me going.” Student 3 adds,“It’s taught me how to help for myself and know I’m NOT the only one going through this, and there is a way out.” Most of these students have a trusted person to rely on. And to talk to about their feelings. Even though they bare through this every day. They do have ways to help guide them through their daily schedule, and to keep focused.

By Grayson Dickinson & Diana Garcia Balderrama

Some students rely on taking days off from school. They are called mental health days. These days are taken off maybe once a month, enough to help destress them and give them a break from anxiety, but not so much as to having them miss to the point where they are having to make up a lot of work, in turn giving them more stress and anxiety. Student 2 shares about how when they take a “mental health” day, they do things they like, and just use it as a recharge time. They said, “Taking alone time and doing things that I enjoy, making a meal for 1, you know, a treat yo-self kinda thing.” These students explain how when they are under the pressure of school they can forget to take care of themselves.

Even though “mental health” days can easily destress, there are still the other days of the month where it can be hard to focus and it just doesn’t feel good or right to be at school. Students gave these tips for coping with anxiety and depression during school, or having a panic attack. You can count your fingers, writing things in a journal, talking to people. Whether that be a trusted sibling, a parent, or a counselor. Students explain how at first they

were scared to talk to a counselor, it can be nerve-wrecking. Student 1 says, “Don’t be Elsa, don’t be afraid to rely on other people.” And Student 2 adds, “I know I was pretty nervous to talk to a school counselor, they are the best listeners. They are always going to be there, even for the things you think are ridiculous. They will take you seriously.” Even though it might be scary, it helps. After talking to someone, it can be like a weight lifted off your chest. Student 2 explains, “ Speak up. I hated hearing that from other people but it’s important to actually get out there and tell someone. Stay strong. Don’t let it eat at you.” The students all gave extra advice saying, “Realize you won’t be stuck at that place forever. It may suck during that time but you will get through it.”

We interviewed Ms. Mckedy and Ms. Herrera as well on coping skills and their opinions on mental health days. Ms. Mckedy’s opinion on Mental Health days was that you should avoid them and have a plan. She explained how, “I feel like if anyone is at a point where they need to take a break, as long as there is a plan in place, with coping strategies and a positive person to talk to.” It is important to make sure that you aren’t dealing with these things by yourself, and have someone you trust help make a plan with you, than mental health days won’t be necessary as often, and when they are taken, it will be easier to catch up on work if you have someone to help motivate, and help you through it. Ms.Herrera adds that, “District guideline is no more than 9 absences a year. However if someone is in a poor state of mental health, and they are coming to school, and they are coping, sometime it is better to have some alone time.” Therefore, if someone is in a bad place and absolutely needs a mental health day, than that can only be taken about once a month. But that also gives you no days for doctors appointments, and when you are physically ill. So how can you skip as few days as possible and endure through school?

We asked the school counselors just that. They gave multiple coping strategies such as, exercising, as long as you are doing some sort of movement every day, watching what you are eating, making sure you are getting enough to eat and the rights amounts of protein. You can also listen to upbeat music, to help get you zoned out, which can relieve high amounts of anxiety, and create a space for yourself where you feel calm, other than just your bedroom. Maybe always being able to go to a friends house, or a counselors office. Ms. Herrera shares, “What can we do to take things off of yours plate, or maybe moving something around in your schedule? Getting more support.” She explains how it’s easy to feel stressed with dealing with 8 classes, and sometimes there may be a specific class that you are having high amounts of stress in, and maybe the counselors can help you switch to a different class, or if it’s a core class, a different period or maybe a different teacher.

There are many coping skills that you can use to help with anxiety and stress. And it’s different for every person. For some people it may help to do something as simple as taking a 5 minute break every 30 minutes or doodling while taking notes. Whereas for other people they might need more support, and more planning in place. Ms.Herrera explained how there are two parts to help deal with mental “illnesses”. Support, and coping strategies. She explained how we need to have balance. Maybe if you are feeling lonely you need more support. And maybe if you are feeling like people won’t leave you alone and you are getting too much attention leading to social anxiety, you need maybe more coping strategies. But. If you are ever thinking that you need to give up. Know there are other students feeling the same way. They have gone through what you are. And there are people just like you that are now helping to lower the numbers of people that feel alone in this never ending battle of loneliness and medications. They have suffered and endured through the sleepless nights. But if there is maybe a time you need help, or you know a friend or maybe not even a friend but you know they need help, do not hesitate to call this suicide prevention number for Hillsboro. As well as the numbers on posters around the school that you can text for help. (503) 291-9111

By: Gisselle Brasseur & Grayson Dickinson

In the office there are little pamphlets that you can grab about how to take care of yourself. These are just some of the ways you can deal with a mental “illness”. These are to help you with everyday life. But find people to support you and encourage you to do your best and endure through whatever is causing you to feel sad or anxious in any way.

(Info graphs created by Gisselle Brasseur & Grayson Dickson)