Class of 2011
My biggest support system in high school included my father
At my high school in Fairfax County, and in Northern Virginia in general, there is a very elitist group of students/parents who put other people down- they put people down who aren’t involved in sports and do not have high GPAs.
When I was in high school I was always under a lot of pressure to achieve unrealistic goals, and the standards I had to live up to were actually incredibly un-motivating. My parents made me see a psychologist because teachers suggested I should. I was administered an IQ test where I scored 136. My parents tried really hard to put me on different ADHD meds because all of my friends were on them, but after being tested it turned out I wasn’t a candidate. In the Northern Virginia area, parents and teachers tend to think there is a clinical fix for all problems, when in actuality it is the system which is flawed.
My biggest support system in high school included my father, my friends and the art department. My friends and I always made fun of the flawed system of perfection as the goal, and watched as the other students fell into the cycle of trying to impress everyone else rather than trying to satisfy their internal self. I thank the art department for pushing me towards something that not only helped me find my calling, but helped me think about things from different perspectives.
I looked at the system as a joke, rather than a solid infrastructure, as I watched people I cared about fall into depression trying to achieve perfection. In a system that will never be happy with what you do, I’ve seen students literally cry because if they brought a B+ home instead of an A they would be ridiculed by their parents.
In high school I wish there were more programs (similar to the art department) which brought together students from many different backgrounds and basically force them to interact, thus forming lifelong friendships. Because in high school, there is no surviving without a broad spectrum of friends.
I never considered suicide because of my relationships with my friends and family. If I had not had such an accepting father and such amazing friendships, I surely would have fallen into deep depression. I always had someone to talk to which I’m thankful for, and I wish I could have been there for these students who obviously did not. I’ve had some of my best friends fall into deep depression during high school and I understand why. I always did what I could to support them, because everybody needs a support system when times get rough.
I wish for students to reach out and try to befriend as many students as they can while in high school. Who knows, a simple gesture like helping someone pick up their book, can prevent a suicide. I suggest everyone reads “The Story of Kyle”. There are several versions on the internet, and whether true or not, the story speaks large truths about how much friendship means to a person undergoing depression.
My worries for my school and other schools are the opposite. If students and faculty don’t reach out to try to help one another, some students are going to end up being very isolated and depressed. One idea is that the school should have a week in the beginning of the year for students to try to talk to someone new during their free periods to encourage new friendships.
One question that I think should be asked of every student is: What have YOU done to try to help other students feel more accepted/ liked at school?
You are not alone. Together we can be resilient. However, this website is not to be used in place of therapy or other forms of help. Non-judgmental help is available 24-7: Call Crisis Link at 1-800-273-TALK(8255). Text with a Crisis Text Line specialist, by texting “TALK” to 741-741. (You can also go to your nearest emergency room or call 911.)
You can also chat online with a specialist at CrisisChat.org (between 2pm and 2am) or ImAlive.org. Many other links to various types of assistance are also available on our RESOURCES page. Help is out there. Reach out, for yourself, or for someone else.
My biggest support system in high school included my father
At my high school in Fairfax County, and in Northern Virginia in general, there is a very elitist group of students/parents who put other people down- they put people down who aren’t involved in sports and do not have high GPAs.
When I was in high school I was always under a lot of pressure to achieve unrealistic goals, and the standards I had to live up to were actually incredibly un-motivating. My parents made me see a psychologist because teachers suggested I should. I was administered an IQ test where I scored 136. My parents tried really hard to put me on different ADHD meds because all of my friends were on them, but after being tested it turned out I wasn’t a candidate. In the Northern Virginia area, parents and teachers tend to think there is a clinical fix for all problems, when in actuality it is the system which is flawed.
My biggest support system in high school included my father, my friends and the art department. My friends and I always made fun of the flawed system of perfection as the goal, and watched as the other students fell into the cycle of trying to impress everyone else rather than trying to satisfy their internal self. I thank the art department for pushing me towards something that not only helped me find my calling, but helped me think about things from different perspectives.
I looked at the system as a joke, rather than a solid infrastructure, as I watched people I cared about fall into depression trying to achieve perfection. In a system that will never be happy with what you do, I’ve seen students literally cry because if they brought a B+ home instead of an A they would be ridiculed by their parents.
In high school I wish there were more programs (similar to the art department) which brought together students from many different backgrounds and basically force them to interact, thus forming lifelong friendships. Because in high school, there is no surviving without a broad spectrum of friends.
I never considered suicide because of my relationships with my friends and family. If I had not had such an accepting father and such amazing friendships, I surely would have fallen into deep depression. I always had someone to talk to which I’m thankful for, and I wish I could have been there for these students who obviously did not. I’ve had some of my best friends fall into deep depression during high school and I understand why. I always did what I could to support them, because everybody needs a support system when times get rough.
I wish for students to reach out and try to befriend as many students as they can while in high school. Who knows, a simple gesture like helping someone pick up their book, can prevent a suicide. I suggest everyone reads “The Story of Kyle”. There are several versions on the internet, and whether true or not, the story speaks large truths about how much friendship means to a person undergoing depression.
My worries for my school and other schools are the opposite. If students and faculty don’t reach out to try to help one another, some students are going to end up being very isolated and depressed. One idea is that the school should have a week in the beginning of the year for students to try to talk to someone new during their free periods to encourage new friendships.
One question that I think should be asked of every student is: What have YOU done to try to help other students feel more accepted/ liked at school?
You are not alone. Together we can be resilient. However, this website is not to be used in place of therapy or other forms of help. Non-judgmental help is available 24-7: Call Crisis Link at 1-800-273-TALK(8255). Text with a Crisis Text Line specialist, by texting “TALK” to 741-741. (You can also go to your nearest emergency room or call 911.)
You can also chat online with a specialist at CrisisChat.org (between 2pm and 2am) or ImAlive.org. Many other links to various types of assistance are also available on our RESOURCES page. Help is out there. Reach out, for yourself, or for someone else.
