Youth that are suffering from mental
illness more often than not find it difficult to get through school. For some
people, all they can think about is how they’re going to get through the day
and keep it together. Sometimes things such as anxiety and depression can get
in the way of success. The gravity of the anxiety and the depression can take a
toll and negatively affect academic performance or social interactions.
For most of my life, I was an
overachiever and always excelled in school. However, in years past, I dealt
with anxiety and depression and found myself going in a downward spiral. It
started in junior high and at first, it wasn't a big deal. A few missed
assignments and my grades fell a bit. I knew I could do better but then I stopped
caring. My grades dropped from excellent to mediocre. For a time period due to
a loophole in the school system, I got away with skipping class without my
parents finding out. I never thought I would ever skip class, but things
happened and I started doing it more and more. I felt terrible whenever I was
at school, so I thought “why should I have to go?” I had a minor intervention
and things were fixed, at least for the time being.
So then high school rolls around and
I moved to a different area, with a new school and a new start. At first, I was
doing really well. However, I started heading downhill again. I had difficulty
with school and my grades began to gradually fall. Due to my anxiety, I was
afraid of approaching anyone, not even my teachers. I felt like I had nobody to
talk to. My grades declined from the 90s to failing badly and barely even
making the 50s. I was lost in a sea of students and I hardly spoke to any of my
teachers if at all.
It was hard to spot a teacher who
might have cared but one of my teachers who knew me and knew what I was capable
of saw what was happening and started talking to me. Confronted by this
particular teacher, I couldn't keep it together and she brought me to the
guidance counsellor. It was difficult at first to get me talking but eventually
I did… and it felt like a huge weight off my shoulders to let all the thoughts
and emotions out. It took a while to figure out how to make things better but
it was a great leap forward for me. When I couldn't bring myself to speak, a
teacher reached out to me.
So what I want to tell teachers is
this: sometimes, all it takes is the simple act of reaching out, and you could
make a really big difference for that person. When you look at the sea of
students, please reach out and make a difference for those who might be lost in
the system.
--Karl Yu
Karl
Yu is a grade 12 student in Halifax, Nova Scotia and will be attending
University this Fall. He has been an active member of the Youth Advisory
Council for the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health.
The Chair works directly with youth to provide easy-to-understand
materials about mental health and the brain. The materials are offered
free to parents, families, physicians and anyone who wants them. Visit
teenmentalhealh.org for more information.
Karl's
blog has also been published on: http://www.ourkids.net/blog/the-simple-act-of-reaching-out-makes-a-difference-10108/
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