News

The Realities of High School Depression

Juliana Auser|September 17, 2018

Depression affects 20% or more of high school aged teens.

High school is not an easy time to be a person. With the changes to life, hormones, friends, and everything in between going on all at the same time it is clear that depression can be a major side effect of life. Recognizing the signs of depression can be the key to knowing when and how to deal with it.

From the outside looking in it’s hard to understand. From the inside looking out it’s hard to explain.The feeling of depression is like being at a party alone. You are surrounded by people but you feel distant. You have this feeling in your chest like a rock surrounding your heart. You are trying to break the rough damaged outside to get to the beautiful crystallized center. However, the thought of nobody liking the shiny reality of who you really are pulls you away from the hammer, leaving the hard cold crust.

So soon you give up and just accept the cold hard outside, letting it feel normal. You let your mind and body feel like you are on the tip top of Mount Everest, numb and cold to the touch. Making you feel paralyzed and unmotivated to do anything. It makes it hard to get out off bed, it makes it hard to hold conversations, it makes it hard to do what you love. It feels like the little voice in the back of you head is screaming trying to get out like a monkey in a cage. Floating through your head on the tidal waves of your imagination. Only your imagination is dark and gloomy unable to find a light, a star, a single reason to stay fighting. So you do the only thing you can do; STAY QUIET…

4-8% of high school age adolescents are struggling with depression. The issue with that is it’s hard to talk about. You don’t want people constantly asking if you are okay, constantly bothering you about talking it out….I’m telling you truthfully it doesn’t always help. Sometimes it actually makes it worse. I know that its hard. I know it makes you want to give up. But don’t you deserve a happy life? the fact that you feel broken shouldn’t make you feel inhuman. You are here and you are thriving. There are always people you can talk to if you need and there are always ways to help succeed with depression.