NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) – As the stressful start of the new school year approaches, mental health experts want to help make sure your child is prepared.
When children return to school, the sudden change can affect them all in different ways.
“Being a teenager is hard; so many changes are happening to your brain and body, and life just passes by so quickly,” says Casey Nelson, M.D., a mental health therapist at Whole Again Counseling & Wellness.
Nelson explains that it’s common to find students returning to school finding themselves in stressful social situations.
“Not being able to interact with friends the same way over the summer and then going back to a new schedule can be hard for some students,” she said.
Leanne Gohner, JP 3 in Nacogdoches County, said several teenagers have committed suicide in the past 16 years.
“The most recent case was last year, a 13-year-old girl. It was a pretty horrible case. A 13-year-old girl who didn’t know what life was all about, she was so lost she took her own life,” Goerner said.
According to the Mental Health America Survey, about 50% of American young people with severe depression do not receive treatment.
Alana Culpepper is the founder of Nac Safe Space, a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention and awareness.
They are gearing up for their second annual Suicide Awareness Walk, which will be held on September 7th.
Culpepper believes early recognition of the signs can reduce the severity of mental illness and improve outcomes.
“Suicide does happen in schools, but it’s not talked about. We want to bring it to the forefront so people know it’s okay to not be okay with suicide,” Culpepper said.
Nelson encourages students to prioritize getting eight hours of sleep and encourages parents to be an active listener or “talk to a teacher, a school counselor, a coach that you feel comfortable being there for. Get support from adults you trust.”
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
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