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The Importance of Mental Health

Writer's picture: The Spartan PressThe Spartan Press

By Karolina Rodriguez '25



Mental health: what is it? Why is it important? How is it affecting us? Mental health is a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. This is a serious issue that affects everyone, and although our physical health is important, our mental health may be more concerning.


Although the mind and body are often viewed as being separate, mental and physical health are actually closely related. Good mental health can positively affect your physical health. In return, poor mental health can negatively affect your physical health. "Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also harder to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden. It is easier to say, 'My tooth is aching' than to say 'My heart is broken" (HealthyPlace.com).



I, myself, have struggled with mental health for a while now, and I relate to this quote greatly. Talking about it is hard, and you find ways to feel guilty about it such as feeling like an attention-seeker for asking for help or finally speaking up. Nothing with mental health is easy, it's draining, and a lot of the time, you can feel numb and unmotivated to do anything.


Of course, this can end up having a lot of major negative impacts on students' life and academic work, which in return, can stress you out even more. It's not because we want to do badly, but these thoughts and emotions interfere with our abilities to work. All the little things add up, and sometimes they can become so severe that young adolescents start to have thoughts of self-harm


This has always been an issue, but it is becoming more concerning each year. We must bring more attention to this serious matter. It can happen to anyone. You could be blessed with a happy family, a good education, or a nice home, yet still feel empty. A lot of people put up a mask that covers their true feelings; the person you believed to be the happiest, could be the saddest in the room. It's difficult with depression and mental health because you could genuinely be happy. Then you remember something, and it all goes away. It comes and goes, and most people with these struggles are great liars; great at making the people around them believe they are okay. This is why we must always check up on one another, to help as much as possible.


Simply talking to someone who is in a lot of pain could end up saving a life. I know many people who have been in difficult situations. In situations where the other person wants to end their life, you have to convince them not to do anything; speaking as someone who has been involved in these types of situations. But whatever happens, and if anything does happen, it is important to not blame yourself. If you were only trying to be there for the person, and really tried to help, then there's nothing you can do. At the end of the day, it was their choice, and you mustn’t blame yourself for another's choice.


One text, that's all it takes, you could affect another person that easily; one text and you could help them. This is a serious topic and should not be taken lightly. By asking a friend, a family member, or anyone if they're okay, you can help. Whatever the response, you can let them know you're there, help cheer them up, or simply listen. Many might be holding their emotions back and need someone to vent to. When you're a teenager everything is weird, you are in the middle of being a child and an adult, everything is complicated, and it's just too much to handle. For a lot of us, it's just this weird numbing state, a feeling of loneliness and limbo. The teenage years can be hard, but we've got to help each other out. There are always tiny things we can do to spread love such as a smile in the hall, and this could be the highlight of someone's day.










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