B2 FEATURES
THE CHRONICLE
NOV. 15, 2017
Staying Afloat
Students seek support from mental health resources, such as school psychologists, Peer Support, deans and outside therapists.
By SOFIA HELLER KAITLIN MUSANTE
Last year, she said she confided in her leaders when she was having suicidal thoughts. They encouraged Hunter* ’18 felt his anxiety in- her to seek help from adults, which creasing. When Monday night ar- she had trouble doing previously. “When you’re on the verge of suirived, he was on the brink of a breakdown. However, as soon as he cide and you want to die, asking for sat down in his Peer Support group help and having people constantly and began to share, his fears in- support you is life changing,” Emilia said. stantly decreased. According to a University of Cam“I detached from everything–my schoolwork, friends, family,” Hunter bridge study, teenagers who strugsaid. “I was drawn into the stress, gle with mental health issues and and I was so anxious. I couldn’t see receive help from mental health services are less likely to be depressed anything outside of that.” Hunter struggles with anxiety later in their adolescence than those and said that the community within who do not get help. Peer Support trainee Lauren Peer Support has helped alleviate it. “Going to Peer Support and ex- Morganbesser ’19 also said Peer plaining my fears that were over- Support has helped her overcome whelming me allowed me to see the personal issues and that she feels reality of the situation, which was comfortable sharing her feelings. “There is something unique in incredibly useful,” Hunter said. “Peer Support has given me the sup- Peer Support because it’s a group port I need to get through my anxi- of your friends and your peers who are going through ety. They were the similar things, so people I didn’t disthere’s a sense of connect from.” empathy,” MorganMany students There is something besser said. “They like Hunter use unique in Peer Support can understand Peer Support as an outlet to cope with because it’s a group of your what you’re going through in a diftheir mental health friends and your peers who ferent way than a issues. According dean or psycholoto a Chronicle poll are going through similar gist would.” of 247 students, things, so there’s a sense of However, some 46 percent said students said that Peer Support is empathy.” the social aspect the most helpful resource on cam—Lauren Morganbesser ’19 of Peer Support makes them unpus for dealing Peer Support trainee comfortable sharwith their mening and it hasn’t tal health related been a helpful outproblems. Emilia* ’19 struggles with anxi- let for them. Anita Anand ’19 said that as an ety, depression, insomnia and bulimia. When Emilia recently confront- introvert, she felt anxious to share ed a difficult issue that resurfaced in issues about her family with her her life, she said she relied on Peer Peer Support group. “You have to be able to talk to a Support for solace in an extreme big group of strangers about realmoment of pain. “I was crying every single day ly personal things, and I was defiduring school,” Emilia said. “I was nitely not comfortable doing that,” down, I had multiple breakdowns Anand said. “I am an introvert, and and anxiety attacks, I couldn’t sleep I couldn’t be [that open or talkative] at night and I wasn’t able to concen- at all.” Ethan* ’19, who also considers trate in school. My whole life hit the fan that week. It became too much himself an introvert, said he noticed for me to deal with, and I felt like I that his more extroverted peers was drowning in my own problem dominated the sessions, making it because I have been carrying it for more difficult for him to gather the the past few years. I wanted people courage to speak. “It was nice to have [extroverted] to help me, support me and tell me people in the group, but it definitely everything was fine.” Emilia said Peer Support has created this environment where the allowed her to find another group pressure to say stuff was contrasted within the community that she can with the fact that I never really had time to speak,” Ethan said. “I often trust at her lowest points.
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felt almost compressed by the peo- informal resource said the deans ple who were more outgoing.” can be a good alternative. Upper school psychologists and For example, Uriah Celaya ’18 Peer Support advisers Sophie Was- said he sought the guidance of dean son and Luba Bek can serve as Celso Cardenas when he came out another resource for students who as transgender to the student body. don’t feel comfortable expressing “For me, [Cardenas] takes the personal issues in a group setting. double role of school psychologist Penelope* ’19, who saw the mid- and dean,” Celaya said. “I feel like dle school psychologist, said that al- he really is the person that people though she hasn’t talked to either of feel closest to and most comfortable the upper school psychologists, she with and also the person that gives would feel open to doing so. the best advice.” “It’s so convenient to have a In contrast, Penelope said she school psychologist on campus so would not feel comfortable discussyou don’t need to go outside of school ing mental health issues with her or ask your parents to see someone dean due to the difference in gender. for help,” Penelope said. “You don’t “I don’t know if I would really need to worry about the severity of want to talk about my personal isyour issue and I know [the school sues with a guy,” Penelope said. “I psychologist is] confidential and feel like he would be less underonly there to help me. standing. If I had a girl dean and I However, some students said the was close with her, maybe [I would policies surrounding seeing school talk to her]. I think I feel more compsychologists have been fortable talking about my harmful. personal problems with Emilia said that after sharsomeone my own gening an issue that qualified as der.” a “red flag,” she was required Wasson said that to attend weekly meetings while school resources with Wasson. In Peer Supcan be a sufficient outport, a red flag is defined as a let for some students in situation in which a student dealing with their probis hurting themselves, a stulems, other students may dent is hurting someone else benefit from the individor someone else is hurting a ualized aspect of therapy ’ student. Peer Support trainoutside of school. ees and leaders are required Ethan said the proAnita to report these instances to a fessional and specialized Anand ’19 school psychologist. nature of therapy aids Although Emilia noted him in working through that her meetings with the school his problems, even more than Peer psychologist acted as another sup- Support does. plement to her support system, “I know that [therapy] has been she said that the overall policy has very helpful for me,” Ethan said. caused emotional distress at home. “Being able to talk to somebody and “Once the school finds out, it get whatever’s going on inside of my turns into a whole big thing where head out, that’s very helpful for me. they contact your parents,” Emil- Talking one-on-one with somebody ia said. “Everything else was just feels much more genuine and better out of my reach at that point, and than talking to a group of people.” I couldn’t control my own situation. Cardenas said he wishes there You’re a threat to yourself, so your was more professional help on camparents have to find out about it, pus available to students, but the which strained my relationship with school does offer good resources my parents.” overall. Emilia said she wished that the “I think there’s a lot of spaces for school had allowed her to have more students to feel like they have somecontrol over the situation. one to go to,” Cardenas said. “When “Having to talk to the school psy- it comes to actually having trained chologist, or being forced to, made professionals, I think we could do a me feel kind of trapped,” Emilia better job. I’ve been at other schools said. “I think students should have that have less and their resources the option to see the psychologist, were tied up, so we’re doing well. which they do, but I feel like if an That being said, we can always do issue like mine comes up, students better.” shouldn’t be required.” Some students who want a more *Names have been changed. WHITE S
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SOFIA HELLER