One of the most important periods in a person’s life is their teenage years. These are the years that they make the most mistakes, take the most risks, be the most moody. Hormones are high and out of control. The brain is going through a lot of changes as it goes from adolescence to adulthood. According to SOS Children’s Villages, teens are more prone to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and self harm. 

These times can be very difficult. It can be compared to having to re-learn yourself. It’s as if you are turning into a completely different person. Social life is very important in these years because you do need to be surrounded by people that love you and care about you. Emotions are also heightened which is why everything always feels so deep. As a teenager myself, I can say that it’s easy to get off track due to so many thoughts running in my head. I’ve had a lot of nights where I just haven’t felt right and felt as if I have not been doing all I needed to do in my life. This transition from child to young adult is very difficult.

The world is starting to become more open to the thought of mental health, but people still don’t realize how deeply affected teens can be. Being on the brink of adulthood comes with a lot of questions like “What is your plan?” and that can put a lot of stress on a person. Sometimes as a teenager you may not know what your next move is. It’s hard to set out a whole plan when life is unpredictable and you never know what you may get due to unpredictable circumstances.

A student, Amari Stokes, from Hillcrest High School said, “Mental health is important because if your mind is not right, then nothing you do will be right.” which reinforces the importance of taking care of yourself so that you feel happy and you can be the best person you can be.

Teenagers should be surrounded by people who can give them a strong support system because often they may feel as if the world is crumbling right from under their feet. Even though it may not be that bad, it definitely feels as if it is. Therapy should be a more open option for teenagers and days where they can just rest – especially for teenagers who may have to work while in school.

It should be more common for anybody to be able to set aside time for themselves.