Break the Stigma of Mental Illness in Teens

According to NIMH.org Around 20% of adolescent teens have a diagnosed mental health disorder. That is around 160 million teenagers around the world in total.

Not many people like to talk about this issue due to it being very stigmatized. The stigma comes from people who see the topic as sensitive or touchy.

“Some people see mental illness as something that is bad or unnatural when in reality it is an issue that affects many people,” says Daniella Werner a junior at Crete Monee High School.

Although this is a very unspoken subject, people feel others need to be more aware of the subject that is teenage mental illness. This is because once we are more aware we can be more helpful to people who are affected instead of being oblivious to the subject.

Now, what can people with or without mental illness do to help people break the stigma of mental illness? There are many ways to do so that involve becoming an ally, educating yourself on the issue, breaking the silence, and importantly using your voice! Your voice counts and can advocate to help break the stigma.

“Don’t be afraid to speak out on a subject you believe in no matter what anybody says,” says Susana Tamayo a Crete Monee High School alumni.

Notwithstanding the fact that mental illness in teens is very stigmatized, there is many ways that the subject is asserted upon. For example, mental health awareness month which takes place in october where many people start to break the silence and get the word out to everyone around the world.

Mental illness can be PTSD, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, dysphoria, etc. The main problem that occurs with these illnesses is that many teens who show symptoms of them are not treated because not many people are made aware of them.

When mental illnesses are not treated properly with therapy or medication they can manifest into something horrific to the teen dealing with them. This can leave the teen feeling helpless and in some cases even commit suicide. The suicide rate in teens is at an all time high.

According to a study from DoSomething.org 1 in 65,000 kids as young as 10-14 commit suicide each year. This is something horrible that happens when others don’t make more people aware of how serious mental illness truly is.

Teens die everyday due to a mental illness and this is what people are advocating for, no matter if you deal with these problems or not. Many feel the need to get the message out there and give the mental health community a voice instead of just sweeping the situation under the rug.

“Don’t be oblivious to mental illness it’s something many people deal with,” says Daniella werner.