Self Help

How to Reach Out and Advocate for Yourself

By Brynn Barachie '23

February 2020

Have you ever felt down, or upset. Maybe that no one understands or cares to notice these feelings? I would be happy to inform you that this isn’t the case at all. Studies show that 1 in 6 students suffer from a mental illness, and 50.6% seek treatment. This shows that mental illness is common and can happen to anyone. But, unfortunately there is still a stigma surrounding the topic. Personally, I feel as if the stigma surrounding mental illness keeps people from getting the help they need to get better and causes them to hide their pain. This is not okay, and it is important for schools to realize that this is a real thing, and it isn’t going to get better by pushing it to the side.

Some tips for seeking help would be to talk to a trusted adult, and if you think your legal guardian may be an issue, reach out to a trusted counselor or teacher. If you don’t want to seek counseling right away, having a good trusting friend to talk too. Starting a new hobby, or joining a sport/club to keep your mind off things helps too! Maybe even exercising or practicing mindfulness. There are tons of books on mindfulness and self-help in general. Talking to your doctor about these feelings is important too! Lastly, if you feel like hurting yourself at any time, ask for help immediately. If no one is around to help you, call 911 or the 24-hour national suicide hotline at 1-800-273-TALK.

In Lehighton High School there are many ways to seek help. There are two school wide clubs, Aevidum, which deals with mental health and if you would ever need someone to talk too, you can always ask a member. They are trained to be able to handle situations, and cannot repeat what was said unless you need help right away. There is SADD which deals with destructive decisions, such as substance abuse. The goal is to know that using substances is not the answer, and that there are other ways to seek help. You can also talk to our school social workers, Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Kenny, our school counselors, or anyone on the SAP Team.

Receiving help for yourself is the most important thing. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding it keeps people from getting help they need. Mental illness should not be something to be embarrassed about or thought of differently. When mental illness is treated equally to other illnesses, more people will have the courage to get help and better their lives. You reading this article, could be a major part to the change we hope to see in the future!