Where to go as a high schooler with mental illness

The obvious rise and exponential amount of deaths caused by gun violence in recent history are often attributed to the mental state of the perpetrator. The 19-year-old that murdered 17 people in the Parkland shooting was excused to an extent because of his mental background. It was noted in the news that the boy had a history of mental illness and was an orphan. Although it has proved problematic for people with mental illness to be able to purchase firearms so easily, there is no prominent connection between mass shootings and mental illness, nor is there a higher likelihood of mentally ill people to be more violent than anyone else.
Mental illness may alter one’s perspective or morals, but it doesn’t change the result of one’s actions. There are 17 members of a Florida community that will not see another day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School because of the lack of concern for life, which cannot be solely contributed to the perpetrator’s mental state. There are many places within a school where students can reach out and find refuge. “For a student who is in need of support, whether that’s you personally, or a friend, your assigned counselor is always a good place to start” counselor Jennifer Walker said.
Sleep deprivation, homework overload, and extracurricular activities are just a few factors that contribute to teen stress. Students spend about seven hours a day at school and are expected to contribute even more time on homework. Overall, there are countless struggles for teens that promote mental illness. Transitioning through adolescence brings hormonal changes that affect one’s attitude. Partnered with the hustle and bustle of high school, these physical changes cause one’s mood to shift and mentality to alter. Depression and anxiety often stem from one’s childhood experiences and can be heightened by this high school stress.
Counselling programs are implemented in many schools across the country, yet students are often unaware of their advantages. Around the Omaha Metro there are many school districts that have partnered with Boys Town to create an anonymous tip hotline. OPS is planning to implement a program like this in the coming months “it’s going to be an OPS phone number that you can call and it is going to be answered by a trained Boys Town hotline staff” Walker said. Not only our school district, but the whole country is taking action to help those with mental illness so that these issues can someday not be a prevalent problem anymore.