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OP/ED

This past year, mental health has been at the forefront of my mind, and I think that is true for a lot of other people. With everything going on, it is important to acknowledge that a lot of people, whether they are young or old, need others to support them in these hard times.

There is such a negative stigma around mental health that it has become harder for others to express themselves without fear of judgment or being left behind. I have a lot of friends who have experienced this first hand, and it is a really troubling thing to go through.

I myself have been going through mental struggles, and I still am. At first I just thought I was just being overly dramatic until some friends came to me and told me what they were going through.

“I tried to be nice to everyone, but I just feel like I was doing too much,” freshman Ivy Padilla said.

I have also struggled with trying to make everyone like me, and it took a toll on my mental stability. I wanted everyone to be my friend, but I soon realized that it is not that simple, no matter what you do there will always be that one person that doesn’t like you for whatever reason.

As I got older, I started to compare myself to others more and more. It is safe to say that I wasn’t the only one who went through this.

Having insecurities and learning to get through them is a big part of growing up. But, it isn’t always easy.

“Everyone’s suddenly too cool for you, so I would always focus on how skinny or fat I was getting, also my voice was so high and it hurt when I was made fun of for it,” Padilla said.

I have always struggled with my appearance and trying to make myself look how other’s wanted me to look. Trying to be someone you aren’t is like trying to fit a square into a circle box — it’s pointless. Realizing this made me change the way that I live my life, and I feel way better about myself now. However, I still have bad days and so do my friends.

Being a teenager comes with many life-long lessons that change us and help us mentally grow. Right now, it may seem like your own mind is against you, but in the long run, you can use these struggles as strengths.