Mental Health Resources

What is "Mental Health?"

Mental health is the overall wellbeing of your mind. That includes your feelings, your thoughts, and even how you interact with others. Being able to do the things you enjoy, be in a good mood, and to complete schoolwork are all parts of your mental health.

Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. If you injure your body, you take the steps you need to take to heal. If you "injure" your mental health, you also need to take steps to heal.

Do you need to heal your mental health injury? Here are some signs that you might.

You're more irritable/grouchy than usual
You're sleeping too much or too little
You struggle to complete your schoolwork
You don't enjoy things you used to enjoy
Your muscles are constantly tight and sore
You get stomach aches or headaches for no reason
You aren't interested in spending time with friends anymore
You feel unusual levels of sadness or worthlessness
You worry excessively
You deal with things in an unhealthy way (i.e. - eating too much, smoking, drinking, aggression, etc.)
You think about harming others or yourself

Mental Health Stigma

Even though mental health is important, there is a stigma around the topic. Why? Oftentimes, mental health and mental illness are terms associated with the following:

"Crazy" or "Psycho"
Criminal justice system/criminal behavior
Laziness
"Fake"/"attention-seeking"
...and more

In order to remove the stigma, it's important that people are educated about what mental health is and how important it is to our wellbeing—especially as high school students.

What is a mental illness?

Mental illness is a health condition of your mind that affects how you live your life. It can impact how you think, feel, interact with others, or complete daily tasks.

Here are some examples of mental illness, and the signs and symptoms. If you are concerned that you have a mental illness and would like to see a therapist, contact your school counselor.

What causes mental illness?

You are more likely to get a mental illness if:

family members have mental illness
you have experienced abuse or trauma
you are/have been bullied
you have experienced discrimination

Am I "crazy" if I have a mental illness?

NO. Mental illness, like any physical illness, can affect anyone.

Mental Health Word Wall

Mental Health

The overall wellbeing of your mind (Think health, just for your mind)

Mental Illness

A health condition of your mind that affects how you live your life

Boundaries

Rules that you set about what you are comfortable with (for example, you might tell a person you are not comfortable with a hug, but are comfortable with a fist-bump)

Self-Esteem

Your thoughts or feelings about yourself (can be good or bad)

Self Care

How you take care of yourself

Therapy

A process! You will be able to vent, build new skills, and learn to find the best version of yourself

Positive Coping Skills

Healthy ways of handling stress or feelings

Negative Coping Skills

Healthy ways of handling stress or feelings (like smoking or drinking to feel better)