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Take Mental Health More Seriously
Mental health is a serious issue that is not paid attention to as much as it should.
Commentary by
Skylar Reiner
Staff Writer
I hate it when people say they are depressed. They usually mean they are sad, not depressed.
Let me make it clear that depression isn’t a relatively minor period of sadness that occurs after a stressful or emotional event. So depression isn’t when you break up with someone and want to eat a whole bunch of ice cream.
Depression is a psychological disorder that can cause a person to feel sadness and be inactive. They also have difficulty with thinking and concentration, experience a significant change in appetite and time spent sleeping, and have feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies, according to Merriam Webster.
Ms. Szmajda, the Middle and Upper School Counselor, believes that “it’s so important to know the signs and symptoms of depression, to know if you or a friend needs help.”
People who are depressed may become suicidal. I know people think suicide is a taboo topic, but it needs to be talked about.
“Unfortunately, I think a lot of people don’t want to talk about suicide because they think they would be giving the person the idea of doing it,” Ms. Szmajda said. “But that’s not accurate.”
What really bugs me are all the jokes about suicide, and the way the word is casually used. I know people say it’s just a joke, but to people who were or are suicidal, it is a really big deal. Joking about suicide is not funny.
It’s not okay when people say they want to kill themselves when they are annoyed at something or if they just suffered a major break-up or failed a test. You shouldn’t say you want to kill yourself if you don’t actually mean it.
All in all, mental health is an important topic that should be talked about more and should be taken more seriously.
If you or someone you know is thinking about inflicting harm upon themselves, Ms. Szmajda is one of many adults you can go to. Or call the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
Books involving Depression
If you want to learn more about what it’s like to have a mental health issue, here are some books to enjoy:
- All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
- It’s Kind of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
- Chicken Soup For The Soul: Teens Talk Tough Times
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Woodlynde School is a private, co-ed college prep day school located in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that serves intelligent, talented students with learning differences in grades K - 12. Woodlynde provides a comprehensive, evidence-based Kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school program in a challenging yet nurturing environment for students with average to above average cognitive abilities (IQ) who have language- or math-based learning differences (such as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia), Executive Function Challenges, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Auditory Processing Disorder. Even for those students without a diagnosed learning disability (LD), Woodlynde offers expert and caring teachers in small classroom settings that support academic success. Woodlynde School also offers a post-graduate (PG) program in partnership with Rosemont College as well as a regional Summer Camp for students who learn differently.
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