Editor’s Note: This article discusses topics involving mental health. If you or someone you know needs help, reach out to a school staff member, or see these resources.  

Mental health is a huge issue in today’s time, and it must be addressed. Many adults look past it and what to say that the younger generation needs to be stronger.

Something like someone’s mental health cannot be overlooked. The mindset someone is in needs to be the focus of care. Your mind is what carries you through life. If you just try to hide it and pretend to be fine, and that nothing is bothering you, it can push people to a breaking point, such as self-harm or worse. 

Depression. The word depression is used a lot to describe being sad, but in reality, depression does not have to have some meaning as sad. Sad is an emotion; being sad is different from depression. 

“Depression, in psychology, a mood or emotional state that is marked by feelings of low self-worth or guilt and a reduced ability to enjoy life,” as defined by britannica.com. 

“Sad, feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy,” as defined by Dictionary.com. The two terms are close in meaning but are far from being the same in the way they have an effect on a person.

Depression is a mental disorder. It is not something that can just be easily fixed and not something that can be changed just because of a smile. Many teenagers who suffer from depression smile just because they do not worry about others. It is very hard after doing it so long.

Depression is strongly shown in many things in the world, such as a very popular show, Euphoria. The show itself is a great demonstration of young adults and teenagers struggling with mental health and many other things.

“There’s a difference between thinking about hurting yourself,” said Jules Vaughn who is played by actress, Hunter Schafer from the show Euphoria. Jules goes on to say that despite the gap, the struggle still remains. 

There are so many people who have shown their struggles and  how they are feeling on different social media platforms, some of the quotes have become so well known because of how relatable they are considered.

“Yeah, I’m depressed. I’m tired of waking up every morning and wishing that I didn’t. Yeah I know I got people that love and care about me, but, yet I still feel alone.” 

“The worst feeling is when you look at yourself in the mirror and fall into tears because you hate yourself and are ashamed of how you look like.”

 “Sometimes I feel like I fake my depression for attention, maybe because I think that I have the right to feel the way I do, my depression literally doesn’t think it’s good enough to be real depression. My depression is depressed.”

All of these were said by teenagers who have been suffering in silence for the longest time. But that must now, we need to stand together and open our minds to see that there is more than just getting over it, that it is a lot harder when you say that. 

If we just got to listening and hearing what other people have to say, maybe, just maybe will be able to help those who suffer get better. Even if it is just a little at a time.