Students all over the world are facing issues in the world like none other. Stress, anxiety and depression levels have been increasing in students who have been forced to change their lifestyles and schedules in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
What is it like for someone who has fought with depression and is now placed in a period in their life where it’s easy to slip back into a dark state of mind?
What about someone who has never experienced depression but is experiencing it now? For starters, it is difficult. It’s difficult to push back the overwhelming feeling of depression when you’re stuck in a room for weeks, overloaded with homework and the expectations to understand lessons in an online environment -- this often leads to procrastination or just simply giving up.
Personally, I have felt this way since quarantine has started. I had a daily schedule pre-COVID, and making those big changes has wrecked my progression back to a healthy and happy life.
Although our school offers mental health support programs, it’s hard to reach out to people to begin with. Plus, besides the programs at school, some families just cannot sacrifice the time and money to get the outside help their child needs.
For many, its disappointment and utter embarrassment.
Not disappointed in the situation, teachers, administration, or their parents, but themselves.
Disappointed that they could let myself fall back into depressive moods and/or develop anxiety attacks again.
Students have been experiencing high-stress situations throughout their high school career -- from expectations to receive good grades, to finding a job to support themselves and perhaps their families.
But, even more so now we as students were thrown into a world of chaos and hatred stemming from politics, the pandemic, and other worldly issues.
We are expected not to let it all get to our heads, to carry on with our education and just focus on our lessons to get high scores on tests and quizzes. If you are struggling with keeping up, that’s your fault for not having better independence.
But, it’s not.
Everyone is struggling and everyone needs help. Whether or not they exhibit signs that they are battling demons, everyone deserves a friend, a family member, even a stranger to tell them that it’s okay to not be okay.
It’s okay to be in need and it’s not your fault for feeling this way.
What I’m trying to say is, reach out to your friends. Reach out to family, people you barely know. Reach out to coworkers and talk with your family. Establish a good line of communication with someone you trust and make sure they’re okay. Because in the end, a simple text can go a long way.
