Mental health is just as real as physical health. However, frequently having to hide your mental illness because of the fear of getting judged, increases the burden. Let’s face it, it’s easier to say that you have a broken bone rather than intrusive thoughts.

No one is immune when it comes to mental illness. Mental health can affect children and adults. Unfortunately, some disregard it as a joke and refuse to seek help.

PE teacher Mr. Carreno said, “Some mentally tough people might disregard it as you’re being soft or you’re not being tough enough mentally to fight against it.”

11^th grader counselor Ms. Gottlieb added, “We can’t learn if we are preoccupied with mental health. I see a lot of students who are mostly dealing with depression and anxiety.”

Being in a new school can be frightening, especially if you don’t know anyone. Miami High enrolled many new students this school year, from freshmen to transfer students. An anonymous freshman said, “Although Miami High is great, I miss my old school. All my friends were there, and I knew everyone since it wasn’t the biggest school. My social anxiety is flying over the roof at all the new faces.”

Social media is one of the reasons many people suffer from mental illness and low self-esteem. Nativida Aguirre, a senior, said, “I think social media is the worst thing ever, especially with girls nowadays. What you see is what you want to be. Some girls who are growing up in this generation, they will never learn how to love themselves. What we project on social media should be women loving their own skin and being who they are. It’s just terrible what social media does to someone’s mindset.”

Sophomore Denise Garcia agrees that social media projects what you should look like. It’s your body, and you should feel perfect in it. Don’t let their image of beauty perish the beauty you have already.

Whether it’s depression, anxiety, or any other mental illness, help is always important. Junior Dailyn Rodriguez said, “It’s important to get help if you’re dealing with mental illness whether the help comes from a family member, a friend, or a doctor because you by yourself won’t be able to deal with it. It’s nice to have the moral support from people you trust.”

While mental health is a serious matter, there are many people who don’t take seriously. PE teacher Mr. Carreno said, “Some people don’t realize mental illness is an illness that’s hard to overcome. Another reason is that some people just take it for granted, how people live with a-day-in-and-day-out basis where they are constantly having to fight anxiety or stress.”

English teacher Ms. Zamora added, “Many people are misinformed about mental health. I think there’s a stigma attached to mental health issues that comes from what people say. Even our parents make jokes.”

Our generation today is dealing with school and its connection to mental stability. Nativida Aguirre said, “The violence hasn’t affected me because I come to school thinking that everything is alright, even though I should think in the back of my mind that anything could happen.”

Sophomore Veronica Wilson said, “I don’t pay attention to current events, but anything can happen, and for some people, that’s really worrying which is why we have [lockdowns and code reds] practices from time to time.”

What is depression?

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.