Editor’s Note: This series discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis call or text 988 to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7. While we normally require headshots of contributed columns in Ideas & Voices, students were offered the option not to have their photos included with their submissions.
Pressure to succeed and perform perfectly in school can lead to anxiety, burnout
“The most effective approach to dealing with mental health for me is adopting a hobby. Preoccupying my mind with reading, working out, learning new recipes and journaling helps me wonderfully. Volunteering or engaging in community activities can provide a sense of purpose and connection. Additionally, spending time in nature or doing creative activities like painting or playing a musical instrument can be very therapeutic.
“While there are many different techniques that teenagers are missing out on, I would say the top two are time management skills and self-compassion. Teenagers have busy schedules with school, extracurricular activities, and after school jobs. They might not have learned effective time management strategies yet, and distractions like social media, bullying, and self-image can make it difficult to focus. Teenagers are often under a lot of pressure to succeed and fit in, which can lead to being overly critical of themselves.”
- Read more from Samya Camp, a junior at Meadowdale Career Technology Center, along with four other Meadowdale students.
You aren’t alone. Know what resources are available to help you.
“In March of 2023, my mom left my siblings and I to move to New York. Still to this day, I have no idea why my mom left us. This traumatic event left me with my dad and my step mom. After my mom abandoned us, I never really talked much about this experience because it was a sensitive subject. In January of 2024, I felt like I was alone in life because I kept everything inside. I felt abandoned and lost. At this time I felt like I was unwanted and I wanted to end everything because I thought that everyone would be better off without me.
“Because of these thoughts, I decided to reach out for help. I talked to my school counselors, parents, friends and even my girlfriend. Together, this support system helped me to not have these thoughts anymore and to think about life in a more positive way, as well as have a way better approach to life. Being aware that help is needed is a huge step in battling mental illness. My own experience just proves that not everyone is aware that they even have mental health issues or that they need help. Everyone experiences various forms of trauma and everyone deals with these issues differently.”
- Read more from Wyatt Kayler, a sophomore at Dixie High School in New Lebanon.
Being constantly reminded of suicide at school makes me question my own mental health
“They ask us to take surveys with questions like: “Do you feel depressed or find yourself unwilling to go to school?” They make us dwell on our feelings which can sometimes make the students think they have negative feelings when in reality, they’re a happy-go-lucky student. School sometimes feels like a therapy session; they sugar coat everything with purpose learning, but they’re always asking: “Are you OK? Do you feel depressed or have had suicidal thoughts?”
“The way to cure depression is by not focusing on yourself and instead maybe doing nice things for other people. Like holding a spot for a friend or helping your teacher out or helping an elderly person carry something heavy. Because, and studies have proven, that when you do something nice for someone and they express their gratitude, your dopamine levels rise, making you feel happy and good about yourself. And when this happens and you do it enough, you can start to feel like you have a purpose in this world.”
- Read more from Zara J. McAninch, an eighth grader at Jacob Coy Middle School in Beavercreek.