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Carson Powell

Professor Hellmers

Eng Composition 2 Sec 1201

November 17, 2020

Research Final

It’s three o’clock in the morning, the night before his big test. A young man has been

studying for hours, preparing to take his driver’s test. Not only that, he worries he hasn’t driven

enough in his free time to feel confident enough behind the wheel to pass his test. He barely ate

anything all day, he noticed his mood has just been down, school has been putting a workload on

him, other students have been putting a lot of pressure on him and he feels as if he can’t take this

stress anymore. He asks himself, “Am I normal? Am I the only one who feels this way? How Is

there something wrong with me?” This young man is experiencing symptoms that way too many

teenagers and high schoolers have felt in their time, depression and anxiety. I, too, have been a

victim of these overwhelming anxiety and depression feelings.

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental illnesses within teenagers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 7% of children ages 3 to 17

were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. (Novitney).​​Why do so many people experience these

feelings at such a young age? And, what can be done to treat these symptoms and get people

feeling back to normal? There are a number of ways to treat these feelings. As time goes on,

there’s a rapid increase of teenagers sensing that they feel or have felt anxiety and depression

symptoms. Lack of exercise, bad dieting, too much screen time, social media, too much pressure,

and feelings that they’re not good enough are just a handful of reasons behind why teens are

victims of these mental illnesses. Although there are many ways to combat these feelings such as
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taking prescriptions, the best way to treat these feelings is to get things off your chest and just

talk to a trusted individual who can guide you in the right direction.

For years people have struggled with anxiety and depression, but it seems like nowadays

a lot more teenagers are struggling with these mental illnesses more than ever. Stress and

pressure from others are two major causes for these symptoms (Geiger). It appears that other

human beings as well are causing us to suffer more than anything, as pressure from others, and

putting stress on ourselves to perform well academically or in activities are also causes for these

symptoms (Morin). There are two main focal points that are continuously brought up throughout

all of these sources. One, being stress and pressure causing these mental health issues in teens

nowadays. The other, being that there is a rapid increase in mental health issues in teens as the

years go on (Feng), especially during the pandemic (Lueneburg).

In 2017, 3.2 million U.S. teens aged 12 to 17, said that they had gone through at least

one depressive period throughout the past year, an increase from 2 million in 2007 (Geiger). On

July 24, 2019, China Youth Daily, one of the most influential newspapers among young people

in China, launched an online survey to answer this question: "The incidence of depression among

college students is increasing year by year. Do you think you are prone to depression?" In 5 days,

approximately 312,000 people responded, and of those 312,000 people, 60.6% thought they were

slightly depressed, 27.6% thought they were seriously depressed, 2.8% didn’t care to answer the

questions, and 9% did not think they were depressed (Feng). This shows an immediate problem
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that needs to be solved, not only in America, but in other countries as well.

(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

Insecurity and unwillingness to talk about these certain things are a major reason why

teens go through these mental health droughts for so long. The fact of the matter is, you ​need​ to

have that uncomfortable conversation that’ll steer you in the right direction. A couple of years

ago, I experienced a mental illness known as depersonalization. It’s a feeling where the

individual who has it may experience their own behavior or thoughts as if it were a dream, and

trust me, it’s not fun. I went to the emergency room because I didn’t know what was wrong with

me. I searched countless different possibilities on the web and started seeing crazy things relating

to health problems, and really psyched myself out. After getting to the emergency room, the

doctors ran some tests, checked my symptoms, the usual. They started pumping fluids through

my blood and gave me a pill that was supposed to calm me down. Their conclusion was that I
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was having an anxiety attack, as everything checked out perfectly fine in terms of my health with

the exception of mild dehydration.

After this incident, it was time to break things down and really take a look at myself. I

started noticing certain changes that I had made in my routine which may have led to this

incident. Warning signs that someone may be suffering from a mental illness include changes in

sleep habits, loss of interest in usual activities, changes within performance at school, weight

gain or weight loss, mood changes, and increased isolation (Morin). I had experienced all of

these changes. Then I thought I was crazy. I thought to myself “Why haven’t any of my friends

gone through this? Am I the only one? Is there something wrong with me?” As Amy Morin

writes in her article “What to Do If You Suspect Your Teen Has a Mental Illness”, mental health

issues are usually very treatable, and a problem doesn’t mean that whomever is experiencing

these issues are “crazy”. It’s best to remain calm, but still take action, rather than spending

months worrying about potential problems, commit to finding a solution (Morin). Counselling is

one of the best treatments for anxiety and depression. Overall, getting things off your mind is a

huge relief. Talking to trusted friends, family, coaches, teachers, counselors, etc. is the most

effective way of treating mental health issues.

Now, it’s possible that someone may experience a situation similar to mine and think

“Telling a counselor about my personal issues won’t do anything good for me.” The thing is, a

professional isn’t always necessary. From personal experience, I can say that it can take weeks or

even months to find that right person to communicate with. I was always too scared to talk to my

parents about things like this, as they are hard on me and push me to fight through adversity. I

tried speaking with a counselor, and telling a stranger about what’s going on in my life just

wasn’t right for me. Nonetheless, that only lasted a few weeks. It’s hard to trust someone with
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deep, personal information, especially when one is scared to talk about these situations in the

first place. Eventually, I was able to be more comfortable with my situation. Talking to people

about it and knowing that I wasn’t the only one who has gone through these situations really was

the cure for me.

Research in neuroscience and psychology has proven that talking to someone about one’s

issues truly is therapeutic. Although venting to a friend about a problem one may be

experiencing has been around for centuries (we’ve all been there), in different forms of

psychotherapy, the vital component is that bond between a therapist and a client. This is a great

way for people to share their problems and pain. Diane Dreher, author of the article “Why

Talking About Our Problems Makes Us Feel Better”, writes that even writing about one’s

problems is a great way to release these emotional burdens and gain greater perspective. So the

next time anyone is feeling as if they aren’t in the best place that they could be, share your

thoughts with a trusted friend or therapist, write those feelings down, and just don’t keep the pain

bottled up (Dreher).

Teen suicide is also at all time high, going even deeper into the fact that mental health

issues in teens are at an all time high. ​Suicide​is the second leading cause of death for people

between the ages of 15 and 19. No, not car crashes, not illnesses, ​suicide.​ That is just absurd, and

shows an immediate problem that teenagers need more help now than they ever have before. The

vast majority of teens who kill themselves give some type of warning sign that they’re feeling

helpless and hopeless first (Morin). One of the biggest factors in mental health problems in teens

is their environment. The environment plays a huge role within why teens may experience

anxiety and depression. Abuse, near death experiences, or any type of overall traumatic incident

can trigger a teen’s mental health for a long period of time.(Morin). The pandemic is causing a
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major outbreak in depression. Oregon Medical Group pediatrician Dr. Laura Sanderson said that

she has been keeping an eye on rates of anxiety and depression among teens and tweens over the

past years. While she's seen an increase correlated with social media use, the pandemic has been

driving mental health concerns. "Since the pandemic started it has just skyrocketed," she said.

"Kids are sponges. They pick up on stress around them. They see that their parents are stressed.

They see the news." (Lueneburg). The analogy of comparing kids to sponges is spectacular. This

goes along with the point that the environment plays a huge role in teen’s mental health. Kids

learn and grow with their environment, and when they see these things that Dr. Laura Sanderson

mentioned, such as the stress that their parents are under, they pick up on that stress and it’s

almost as if they feel that way too.

After 15 students in Mason City Schools, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, were taken to

hospitals for suicidal thoughts in less than a month, the district's superintendent issued a plea to

students and parents, "Please let us help." (DeMio).This is caused partially by the pandemic. As

environmental factors play a huge role in mental health stability, the pandemic certainly doesn’t

help. "I have noticed more of my patients are experiencing suicidal ideation," said Lynne Merk, a

psychologist and outpatient therapist with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

"Anecdotally, I've been doing more safety plans." (DeMio). COVID-19 and its quarantines, even

for the kids who do not get sick, have caused far much more stress than before, Cooper said.

Kids may have trouble keeping up with school classes. They're missing special events, and may

worry about getting sick or having a grandparent get sick with the virus. And while many

schools, including Mason, are holding in-person classes as much as possible, some miss that due

to quarantine, and some parents have selected virtual learning (DeMio). These articles show just

how true it is that the environment and what life brings towards you can affect a person’s mental
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health. However, the fact that these kids are actually letting people know and seeking help is a

huge step in the right direction. Educating teens that it’s OKAY to go through these mental

stages in life is crucial.

Seeking medical attention for prescribed medicines also may be necessary in order to

help treat one’s mental health. It may even come down to it, if counselling and help from trusted

loved ones doesn’t steer the victim in the right direction. However, it isn’t the one stop cure.

Although there isn’t necessarily one specific way to treat everyone who has depression,

medication shouldn’t be step one. Kristen Lee writes in her article, “Why Meds Are Not a One

Stop Cure For Anxiety and Depression”, “The idea that meds are a one-stop-cure-all needs to be

revisited and dismantled. The one-stop approach involves a lack of access to preventative,

alternative and/or complementary measures, and resorts to swift prescribing without exploring

additional means to understand and treat mental health and stress-related issues” (Lee). Taking

antidepressants or other medications that are meant to help calm or treat anxiety or depression

isn’t a terrible idea, however it’s not the best option. Medicines can contain side effects that can

be detrimental to one’s health in the long run, although it may help them for the time being. A lot

of teens will resort to other drugs in order to help them cope with depression and ease their

anxiety, such as marijuana. Now, whether or not that is ​actually​ beneficial, will be saved for

another research project for someone else. However, it is proven that drugs and medications all

have negative side effects, while talking to a trusted loved one or specialist has no downside

whatsoever and is ultimately the best route.

Relating back to the boy I talked about from the beginning of this paper. I hope now he

understands that what he’s going through is completely normal, and he shouldn’t be scared. I

hope he figures out who to talk to, and who will guide him in the best direction. I hope he’s able
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to take a step back and ease himself into this place we call life, and although the downs can be

really, ​really,​ down, there’s always a way to get back to the top. Find someone to talk to, let the

emotions and thoughts flow from your body, and take the burden out of you. Don’t resort to

medicine or use drugs. This is the best way a teen can help themselves, and life will truly work

itself out.
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Works Cited

DeMio, Terry. “15 Mason kids to hospitals for suicidal ideation in 3+ weeks, COVID-19

pandemic hits kids hard.” ​The Enquirer,​ 17 November 2020,

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2020/11/17/mason-city-schools-superintendent-a

ddresses-teen-suicide/6322572002/. Accessed 17 November 2020.

Dreher, Diane. “Why Talking About Our Problems Makes Us Feel Better.” ​Psychology Today,​

11 June 2019,

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-personal-renaissance/201906/why-talkin

g-about-our-problems-makes-us-feel-better. Accessed 19 November 2020.

Feng, Bing, et al. "Change in the level of depression among Chinese college students from 2000

to 2017: A cross-temporal meta-analysis." ​Social Behavior and Personality: An

International Journal​, vol. 48, no. 2, 2020, p. 1g+. ​Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,​

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A615363656/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=79c78b

28. Accessed 16 Nov. 2020.

Geiger, A.W. “A growing number of American teenagers – particularly girls – are facing

depression.” ​Pew Research Center,​ Leslie Davis, 16 July 2019,

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/07/12/a-growing-number-of-american-teena

gers-particularly-girls-are-facing-depression/. Accessed 16 November 2020.

Lee, Kristen. “Why Meds Are Not a One Stop Cure for Anxiety and Depression.” ​Psychology

Today​, 21 November 2015,

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reset-247/201511/why-meds-are-not-one-stop

-cure-anxiety-and-depression. Accessed 19 November 2020.

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Lueneburg, Chris. “Healthy Living: Anxiety in Children 'Skyrockets' amid Pandemic.” ​KEZI

News,​ 11 November 2020,

https://www.kezi.com/content/news/Healthy-Living-Keeping-an-eye-on-mental-health-w

ith-pandemic-stress-572980281.html. Accessed 16 November 2020.

Morin, Amy. “What to Do If You Suspect Your Teen Has a Mental Illness.” ​Verywell Mind,​ 11

April 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/what-to-do-if-you-think-teen-has-a-mental-illness-4109573.

Accessed 16 November 2020.

Novotney, Amy. “Better Ways to Combat Anxiety in Youth.” ​Better Ways to Combat Anxiety in

Youth,​ 1 November 2019, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/12/combat-anxiety.

Accessed 16 November 2020.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “More Teenagers Are

Experiencing Depression.” ​Statista​, 21 November 2019,

https://www.statista.com/chart/20052/share-of-us-teenagers-experiencing-depressive-epis

odes-and-receiving-treatment/. Accessed 23 November 2020.