RAISING AWARENESS
NOVEMBER AWARENESS
The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. It starts with mild memory loss, and can lead to the inability to conversate and respond to the environment. Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s can include forgetting recent events and conversations. As the condition progresses, the person will develop severe memory impairment, and will struggle to complete everyday tasks. There is sadly no cure for this disease, but there are medications that can slow down the progression of symptoms.
One student at JCHS had a great aunt who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and was put in a nursing home to get help with her condition. Alzheimer’s did not give her great aunt too hard of a time before she passed away, but the biggest struggle for her was remembering her family. This student felt sad about her great aunt, while her family constantly worried, especially her grandmother. She says that Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease, and that it can destroy someone’s life.
A student whose grandmother is currently struggling with Alzheimer’s has learned how to accept her condition. Her grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about five years ago, and can only remember her childhood, her husband, and her kids. The student used to visit her often, but no longer does after her condition escalated about a year ago. She says that Alzheimer’s is a sad disease, and that it just takes time to accept.
Another student at JCHS sadly lost his great grandmother who had Alzheimer’s about four years ago. His grandma was affected badly by her condition. She was no longer joyful or able to walk, and would forget time. The first sign that his grandmother had Alzheimer’s was when she thought there was a snake crawling around in her hair. She was put in a nursing home, and her condition got worse over time. The student says that Alzheimer’s is depressing, and “not very cool.”
Alzheimer’s is a terrible affliction that affects more than six million people in America. Not only does it affect the one with Alheimer’s, but their friends and family as well. The World Health Organization has been trying to find a cure for Alzheimer’s, and they have made their deadline for it 2025 to 2030. We students at Jennings County High School can not wait until Alzheimer’s disease has a cure!
Mental health Awareness
Last month was mental health awareness month, here are some of the stories that were written by our students to raise awareness.
How phones affect mental health in our students
How do phones affect our mental health? Studies have shown that teens addicted to their phones have also shown signs of depression. Further research has shown that phones negatively affect sleep, which not only leads to depression , but also anxiety.
Students at Jennings County High School agree with the conclusions made about how being on their phones at night affects them mentally , and stimulates their depression and anxiety. They say that the main problem for them is their time spent on social media. The social media platform, TikTok, seems to make the worst impact on students because of hate videos, filters, photoshop, and models. Students don’t like coming across videos hating on topics related to them such as racism, homophobia, and beauty standards; it makes them look at themselves in a bad way. When people use filters or photoshop on the internet, typically girls, see them, and start comparing themselves to the video creators in negative ways, causing them to become more insecure about themselves. Students addicted to their phones can also have decreased social skills “Because conversation is the most human and humanizing thing that we do. It’s where empathy is born, where intimacy is born.” (greatergood.berkeley.edu)
The main problem with students at Jennings County High Schools’ phones causing their depression and anxiety is social media. Students being on social media causes their self-confidence and social skills to decrease. Some ways they think their mental health can be improved is by limiting their screen time, and spending less time on social media.
decompressing anxiety
There are many different ways to decompress anxiety, but how do students at Jennings County High School decompress their anxiety? Not all techniques of reducing anxiety at school work for everyone; some people use distraction coping while some use physical coping.
One student finds herself drawing, listening to music, talking with friends, and fidgeting with her school supplies when she’s feeling stressed at school. Listening to music while drawing alone helps her decompress the most. When she uses her coping techniques, her anxiety levels lower a lot, and she doesn’t start using them until her anxiety starts becoming a problem. Some techniques that this student has heard help other people that don’t work for her are muscle relaxation, and box breathing.
Another student tends to be anxious at school often. When she’s feeling stressed out at school, she likes to write random things down on paper. Although she loves writing when she’s feeling anxious, activities like journaling, and keeping a diary don’t lower her anxiety levels. When this student starts feeling stressed, she notices her restless leg syndrome acting up, “My leg starts doing a little dance,” she says.
Another student, unlike the other two, does not often feel anxious at school. He says that drawing during school keeps him calm.
Not all students use the same coping techniques to relax their anxiety. Some work better than others for specific people, but anything can be a coping technique if it helps lower your anxiety levels.
eating disorders
Eating disorders are among the most common mental illnesses, and of all the illnesses; they are the second deadliest. Eating disorders are psychological conditions that cause unhealthy eating habits. They can even be genetic, or caused by personality traits such as neuroticism, perfectionism, and impulsivity. Possible symptoms of an eating disorder are severe food restriction, food binges, and purging behaviors.
Students notice that anorexia is the most talked about eating disorder at Jennings County High School. JCHS students with anorexia feel emotionless and sick a lot of the time, and never know if that is because they haven’t eaten enough, or if they’ve eaten too much. Students also say that having an eating disorder can get really scary at times, and that they’re hard to talk about with other people. A student at JCHS who has overcome anorexia says they feel a lot better after getting the support they needed to get through such a tough time. “It’s really hard to come out of if you don’t have any support,” the student says.
Bulimia is another eating disorder that students at JCHS hear about often. Some students who realize they have bulimia avoid the chance to fight it, while some want nothing more than for it to be cured. A student who is aware of their eating disorder wishes that there was more awareness for them, and for there to be less hate on people who have one. The student wants others to stop stigmatization toward eating disorders, and for them to stop “being seen as bad.”
Eating disorders are not fun for these students. No one wants to feel sick all the time or debate with themselves whether or not they should eat something. If you are struggling with an eating disorder, find trusted friends or family members for support; you shouldn’t have to go through it alone. Don’t let it discourage you, keep fighting!
If you need help with your eating disorder, call or text National Eating Disorders Helpline at 1-800-931-2237.