“Protecting yourself is equivalent to recognizing your values”: Exploring Topics in Teen Mental Health with an Atlanta Guidance Counselor
Question #1: How would you recommend that students manage pressure, stress, and anxiety relating to academics?
When I asked this question, Mr. Ross emphasized the fact that it was necessary to recognize how strong and resilient one truly is, and that they can overcome the struggles that they are facing. The acknowledgment that one is able to overcome their mental struggles is one of the most important first steps. I then asked, how can stress be increased due to outside sources that we may not even recognize? The guidance counselor replied by saying, stress can be greater due to academic and social pressures, but also from constant interruptions from social media. When “doom-scrolling” on social media, it is almost inevitable to come across a famous influencer flaunting their amazing life, showing their abundance of money, or their ability to go on amazing trips. The guidance counselor then stated that comparing yourself to others is one of the most difficult habits that can adversely affect mental health. When comparing oneself to someone else, the mind begins to go crazy. Mr. Ross said that the brain will create “what if” scenarios that continue to induce more and more stress. These “what if” scenarios tend to create the most impossible and absurd images in our brains that we know will never come true, but still linger in our minds. She also stated that these scenarios are rarely for the better, and can cause our mental health to deteriorate. Finally, the guidance counselor stated that our greatest support lines come from our peers and parents' support. Whenever one is feeling stressed, she said, the best way to calm ourselves is to realize that we do have people who are willing to guide us through our struggles and help us overcome our mental battles.
Question #2: What are your top tips for students to take care of their mental health?
Mr. Ross’s response to this question made me stop in my tracks: the most important recognition is to realize that you are human. If you are human, it is normal to feel overwhelmed or stressed, and many students need to realize that what they are going through is a normal physiological reaction. It is normal for people to go through rough patches in order to grow and develop character. If one does not have mental struggles here and there, one will never fully understand their mental abilities, and how those shape our character. Students today need to understand that if their situation becomes uncomfortable, there are many people around them that will help and stay with you. Mr. [anonymous name] then made a great point by stating that everyone has been a teenager before and understands your situation. A key piece of advice that he gave was this: In order to take care of your mental health, you should focus on things that are unique about you and focus on those special qualities, rather than pressuring and changing yourself simply for grades or academic validation.
Question #3: How can students be proactive about caring for their mental and physical well-being so that they have a lower risk of experiencing depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses?
Mr. Ross began answering this question by stating that the certain mental health issues may be a consequence of the pandemic. Out of nowhere, COVID had come into everyone’s lives, drastically changing them and causing certain mental health issues to arise due to isolation, loss of jobs, and many other major factors. Students can begin to be proactive about caring for their mental and physical well-being by recognizing what they see in the world regarding mental stress. In order to better our mental health landscape, it is important to address the main issues we see in our everyday lives. She then stated that in order to become resilient and fight our mental struggles, it is important to gain the right information regarding mental health. Like taking any test, it is important to study and gain a little insight before we can fully understand why and what is causing our mental health to struggle. Many students today view mental health as a sign of weakness. However, it is quite the opposite. Instead of viewing mental health as a little bump in the road, it is important to manage it and grow stronger by doing so.
Another important realization for students is that it is never bad to be depressed or have anxiety when going through a personal challenge. When going through something traumatic, it will cause every human to go through a chapter of their lives that may contain some depression and anxiety. Students must realize that in order to be proactive about caring for their mental health to prevent future illnesses, it is a necessity to understand that these negative feelings are not something one can simply push away, but should rather be viewed as a way to learn and grow one's character
Question #4: What are some strategies for students who are facing peer pressure to do something that they don’t want to do and/or that goes against their values?
Protecting yourself is equivalent to recognizing your values, said Mr. Ross. As you begin to emerge into your adolescence, it is important to recognize who you are. If someone is pressuring you into something you don’t want to do, and you realize that it is going against your values, don’t do it. As a teenager in high school, it is beyond relatable when hearing news that a student was pressured into doing something solely to fit in or gain one popularity point. But once you begin to change yourself for others, it will begin to become a habit that will be difficult to end in the future. Similarly, like gossip, the one “cool” act that you did will soon disappear from others minds, and you will go back to becoming yourself, and it is okay if the same popular people don’t wave or say hi to you in the halls. Mr. Ross pointed out that it is difficult to deal with insecurity, but ultimately you want to have the character and strength to be your own person. It is so much more rewarding when having the ability to love yourself fully, than being a part of the popular group for maybe 2-3 months. In order to gain self-worth, you need to understand that you have value and that you matter just as you are. In any decision, choose the decision that puts you at any advantage. Who cares if you aren’t viewed as popular because in the next four years, no one is going to remember each other anyways.
Question #5: How can students get help for themselves or for a friend if they are struggling with mental health?
When asking the guidance counselor this question, Mr. Ross said that she had a great step-by-step instructions list. One should begin by journaling. In order to calm the mind, journaling your thoughts and writing down things is an important step. When journaling, one may find a pattern. If there are clear patterns as to why one feels inclined to write down things, then, they should find a go-to person. This go-to person can be a close teacher, a pastor, a friend, or someone who is trustworthy. After finding a go-to person, it is important to open up about feelings and stressors. If one does not have an immediate go-to person that comes to mind, there are always hotlines that are available, and will be able to accomplish the same things. It is understandable to feel less comfortable around hotlines, but these hotlines were created solely to help people who are struggling mentally, and they will have the correct resources to offer. If a student realizes that themselves or their friends are struggling with mental health, this step-by-step list can greatly benefit them by taking that crucial first step.
