Ever since the pandemic, there has been more talk of the dangers of teen mental health and how stressed teens have become. But ask any teenager, and they will tell you that stress levels being dangerous for teens, while perhaps made worse by the pandemic, is certainly nothing new.

School takes a toll on teens’ mental health. Believe it or not, being a teenager is hard. We struggle with the stress of school, work, sports, responsibilities at home and plenty of other things. Physical health is also very important and if you’re constantly stressed it can cause problems for you.

School is stressful, especially high school when teachers pile on the work and there never seem to be enough hours in the day to get it all done. It can be nerve-wracking to be constantly rushing to get papers and projects finished, and grades can nose-dive quickly if everything doesn’t get done.

For three months straight, I cried every single day at school. I refused help. I was embarrassed to say that my troubles were too much for me to handle. I finally reached the point when I had to ask for help. It was at that moment when I felt that I wasn’t alone for the first time in months. Asking for help takes courage, and it will never be a sign of weakness. It’s important for teenagers to remember this fact: Asking for help when dealing with a mental health issue is a sign of strength.

It takes so much effort and bravery to step forward and admit that you may not be able to handle your challenges all on your own. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking someone for help. Sometimes, we as teens, are afraid to speak up. We might think we are bothering others or becoming a burden for others. We fear that people will think we are weak because we cannot do everything by ourselves.

If you were feeling sick with a cold or a cough, you wouldn’t be ashamed to ask an adult to take you to the doctor. You know something’s wrong, and you know you need help to feel better. Think about treating your stress and mental health the same way. When something is wrong, find someone to help.