Sadness could be a genuine therapeutic ailment that includes the brain. It’s more than just a feeling of being “down within the dumps” or “blue” for many days. If you’re one of the 20% of high school students who have depression, the feelings do not go away. They persist and interfere with your everyday life.

High school students are constantly overwhelmed by homework, tests, work, and on top of that, they have to balance it out with their social life, clubs, and sports so it’s natural to feel sad, down, or discouraged at times. We all feel these human emotions, they’re reactions to the hassles and hurdles of what comes in life.

There are many causes that affect this mental illness and young people are on the rise to having this mental illness. High school students at their age are most likely to get into relationships, lose friendships, hold onto stress with school work, and have a difficult time handling time management. This all adds up to feeling isolated, worthless, and the creation of negative thoughts. Covid-19 has had a big effect on that because it made it more difficult for teens to interact with one another. Since most high schools have to be quarantined and do at-home learning instead of going to school it’s more difficult to interact with friends and get the help you need.

Helping someone with depression can be a challenge. This may cause you to feel helpless and wonder what to do.  Because this is so common, which is not a good thing, it is important to look out for any signs that your friends, acquaintances, or even family member that may have depression. The people you encounter may be feeling alone and in despair and you may not even know it. Depression varies from person to person, but there are some common signs and symptoms. It’s important to remember that these symptoms can be part of life’s normal lows. But the more symptoms you have, the stronger they are and the longer they last.

These 10 signs can be common symptoms that your student, friend, or family may have depression.  It includes feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, a change in weight and appetite, loss of interest in daily activities, loss of sleep,  mood changes, loss of energy, self-loathing, reckless behavior, problems concentrating, aches and pains, self-harming, anger, and isolation. But there’s always a way to be there for them and help them go through their tough times. Be a compassionate listener you may be lost on how to help but listening is just as important. Often, the simple act of talking face to face can be an enormous help to someone suffering from depression. Encourage the depressed person to talk about their feelings, and be willing to listen without judgment. If it ever comes down that they consider suicide or at risk of hurting themselves, talk to them about your concerns and help them open up to get the help they need. You may save the life of someone who deserves to have a future because a student who is still so young still has a long way to go.