The Troubles of Mental Health

General Information

Most adolescents do a self evaluation on three different areas which are appearance, performance, and status. Teens also hold three main general self concepts which are belongingness, worthiness, and competence. All of this can cause someone to have struggles with anxiety, depression, inadequacy, and suicidal ideations especially students in highschool who may be going through things on their life.

Causes that would lead to a low self esteem would be abuse and especially child abuse. In addition to this another factor would be parental rejection or living in a household full of excessive parental criticism which would lead teens to re-evaluate themselves. This would lead to such things like faulty thinking like “I need to meet this standard to feel good about myself.The effects this would cause is having a flawed attitude because of the world they've experienced around them which would lead them to have a pessimistic perception of the world thus summing up what mental health is. The following information should be used as a practical manual for distressed students on how to receive guidance.

Four Specific Things

Anxiety: Anxiety is like a troublemaker that messes with your mind, making you feel worried and unsure about everything. It's like having a swarm of butterflies in your stomach all the time, making simple things seem super hard. It even messes with your friendships and school stuff, making you feel like you're missing out on fun and opportunities. If you try to understand why it's happening, like asking yourself why you feel this way or what triggers those feelings, you might find ways to deal with it better.

Life without anxiety could be like finally seeing the sun after days of rain. You'll feel more confident and brave, ready to take on new challenges without that pesky fear holding you back. Your friendships will become stronger, and you'll enjoy spending time with family more. School or work will be way easier to handle, and you might even surprise yourself with how well you can do when anxiety isn't bothering you all the time. Life will become like an exciting adventure full of happiness and growth.

Depression: Depression is like a heavy weight that makes everything feel gray and gloomy. It's like losing your motivation and feeling worthless, which is really difficult. It affects how you do in school or your hobbies, and it might even make you pull away from your friends and family. However, if you ask yourself why you're feeling this way or what makes you feel so down, it might help you figure out how to get better and feel happier.

Life without depression could be like a burst of colors and sunshine after a long winter. You'll find joy in things again and feel more connected to your loved ones. School and hobbies will become more fun, and you'll be excited to do stuff you used to enjoy. It won't be easy, but seeking help and talking to someone you trust can make a big difference in your life.

Inadequacy: Inadequacy is like a voice in your head telling you that you're not good enough. It makes you doubt yourself and feel like you can't do anything right. It affects how you handle school or projects, and it might make you hold back in your friendships. If you can ask yourself why you feel this way or what's making you doubt yourself, you might learn to be kinder to yourself and believe in your strengths.

Life without feeling inadequate could be like finally seeing how awesome you really are. You'll be more confident and believe in yourself, which will make school and projects feel less scary. Your friendships will become stronger when you stop holding back, and you'll feel happier knowing that you're worthy and capable. Embracing your uniqueness and learning to love yourself will open up a whole new world of possibilities.

Suicidal Ideations: Suicidal thoughts are like monsters in your head, making you feel like there's no escape from the pain you're going through. It's a really tough place to be, feeling trapped and alone. These thoughts can affect how you focus on school or other activities, and they might make you feel distant from your family and friends. If you ask yourself why you're feeling this way or what's making you feel so hopeless might help you find a way to cope and reach out for support.

Life without these dark thoughts could be like finally finding a way out of the darkness and into the light. With help and support, you'll see that there are people who care about you and want to help. You'll rediscover the beauty of life and find joy in the little things. Every moment becomes a chance to grow stronger and more compassionate towards yourself. It won't be easy, but there's hope and a bright future waiting for you.

Get Help

When it comes to getting help for the troubles you may be facing there are multiple things you can do. Some examples of this could be getting help from someone such as help from a family member or even a professional such as a therapist. In addition to this, something you can do is apply yourself to a hobby or to something you've never done before like a sport or playing an instrument. You may ask yourself where do I go after this? Well my answer to this would be going to other websites that actually provide that help like BetterHelp.com or Perform Care.

Ant's Life

When it comes to my life I have gone through a lot. With these many events in my life I had eventually started struggling with mental health. One thing on top of the other my brain had deteriorated giving me all these thoughts that I didn't know how to deal with. When it comes to these 4 different struggles they are a key part of what I felt throughout my life and even now. In my life anxiety would play such a big role in my life because it would lead to every decision I make being overcomplicated. This would only get worse with time as I would then develop depression which would make my life miserable by having everyday activities become such a hassle. I wouldn't even want to get out of my bed to go to school but due to my parents being Hispanic, I went anyway.

When it came to school I had started to develop issues of inadequacy because I saw myself as someone inferior to others and I still do. Even if I would get good grades or do an amazing job at something that would give me recognition I would always think that I could have done better. Even if I had gotten an honor roll I still thought that I was a sorry excuse of a person who doesn't deserve anything. With all these things going on in my personal life and all these different types of struggles I was going through it had made my life so draining and depressing to the point where there were times I wish I just wasn't alive anymore because of how much I had to deal with. Although the only reason I would do such a thing is because if I had chosen to die then it would only become an inconvenience for those around me which would make me feel worse.

As of now there are times where I still have these types of feelings such as anxiety, inadequacy, and depression. Trying to get better is a lot of work but as life went on I saw how happy someone like me can become so happy and I strive to gain that type of happiness everday. After reading everything and my story I wish to know how you feel after everything by answering my questionare here:

Mental Health Questionare

When it comes to that happiness that I saw I could have I have to give credit towards my friends. My life has been quite the difficult one but that happiness I had came from the people around me such as my friends who made me smile, laugh and in general make my life a place worth living because they gave me hope and they showed me how having nice people around you can give you that sense of hope that life probably is worth living and how they can make all of my struggles go away.

On top of this having such an understanding older brother who is like a mentor to me was something I am grateful for because the way he had taught me to live life was an incredible experience especially because he's someone I absolutely have fun around. In my life I have gotten to meet so many people who have shown me what caring for someone is really like and even though some people in my life have not stuck around for a long time I am still grateful for that experience and the many memorable moments. Although this journey isn't easy and is more like a bumpy road, I'm sure that anybody with enough time can see the growth they've achieved even if it's a slight growth, it's still progress towards becoming better.

Source

Josh McDowell's handbook on counseling youth, The Problem of Unhealthy Self Esteem, pgs 73-80