What You Need to Know About Mental and Emotional Health

Everyone feels down once in a while. For some people, external stressors, brain chemistry, or a combination of both can lead to depression. People can become depressed when under a lot of stress (from moving away to college, a parent’s illness, divorce, unemployment, keeping up with grades, paying for college, etc.). Even when things seem the darkest, there is help available.

Educating yourself about living with mental illness and mental health struggles is one of the best ways you can help yourself or a friend. By being educated, understanding, and supportive, friends can be a valued asset to recovery.

emotional health tips

The Facts

  • Mental health issues can happen to anyone at any age.
  • Mental health deserves the same attention and care as physical health.
  • Mental health issues are treatable, but the same treatment doesn’t work for everyone. Sometimes, we need to be patient while we figure out what works for our unique selves.
  • Suicidal thoughts, plans, and actions are a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, not a character flaw or weakness. This chemical imbalance makes it difficult for someone to problem-solve and think out solutions to their intense emotional pain.
  • Students who identify as LGBTQ+ have higher rates of suicide attempts.
  • Students raised in households with high academic expectations may experience excessive stress because they don’t want to disappoint their parents or guardians, which can lead to anxiety and depression.

Talking about mental illness and available treatment helps reduce the stigma and keep the conversation positive and hopeful.