By: Alyssa Rester

Mental illness is a very serious and very relevant topic today. Many of us not only have seen loved ones suffer, but also have suffered these illnesses ourselves. But what we have not seen is how we, along with those around us, are supposed to cope and deal with those daily struggles.

One of the most prevalent mental illnesses that we see amongst the population today is anxiety or social anxiety. Anxiety, the constant fear or worry that does not go away, is something that many teens suffer with each day and are struggling to understand and cope with as the go on with their daily lives. “I was diagnosed with anxiety around the age of 12, it was something I never full understood until I got I to high school,” senior Drew Schmidt said.  “The best thing for my anxiety is sitting down and talking about what is making it spike. Whether it’s with my mom, a friend, a teacher, or my therapist, talking is very helpful when your struggling with something in your head.”

Another common mental illness or struggle we see a lot today, is depression. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes one to struggle with finding high points in life. “When I am going through a really bad day or week with my depression and I can’t seem to get happy, I try to keep myself busy and not focus on the things in ny life that make me sad and have these bad days,” sophomore Sarah Najer said. “I try to push through as best as I can without causing myself too much stress.”

Mental illness is a very common thing to find amongst teenagers today. With the amount of stress from school work and sports or a job, it is easy to see why students struggle with how ro cope with these mental illnesses.] Counseling Department Secretary Cindy Nelson said, “I have many students come down to the counseling office two or three times a week in tears because of these struggles they are facing. These illnesses are not something to be brushed aside, they need to be talked about and handled so students can learn to cope with them through their daily lives.”

Students are encouraged to seek help and to sit down and talk about these things that are now becoming more and more common each day. Please reach out and learn how to cope with these feelings and struggles in your life everyday.