Mental illness is an issue that many high school students struggle with daily, but never take the time to pause and check in on. Modern society has made out mental illness like anxiety and depression to be normal and even cool. Students need to know that it is not normal or cool, but they are also not alone and there is help. 

Along with being a student, I am also an athlete, thespian and on the newspaper staff. This causes me to be constantly busy and doesn’t give me any time to focus on myself and my mental health. Like myself, many students get into the routine of constant chaos and never take time to pause and focus on themselves. This causes mental illnesses to be set aside.

Mental health is just as important as physical health and should be treated with the same importance. For example, just as you might take a day off of school when you have the flu, you should also consider taking a day off school if you’re not in the right state of mind. Students should make sure they take time out of their busy schedule to take a break for their own health. 

According to National Alliance on Mental Illness, 16.5% of U.S. youth ages 6-17 experienced mental illness in 2016, and only 50.6% received treatment. There are many teens who are afraid to speak up or want to keep their emotions to themselves. I did that for many years, but I eventually spoke up and got help, which was the best thing I have ever done for myself. Keeping all your emotions in may seem easy now, but they are slowly weighing you down. 

Even if you think your mental illness is not impacting your life, take a step back a look at your life. Maybe it’s impacting your life more than you thought. Mental illness can affect school, work, friendships, relationships and many other aspects of your life, but you may not realize it.