Dannyelle-Jordan Bailey | Minding my mental health

As teenagers, we have had to conform and adapt to this thing that has caused our social skills to plummet and has wreaked havoc in other areas of our lives. The pandemic was a surprise and an interruption to the fast-paced schedule that was once our lives and has left us picking up the remnants of ourselves.

During the lockdown and social distancing, I was forced to truly see myself and everyone that existed around me, including my parents. Suddenly, much of what was being suppressed came to the forefront of my being, and a lot of hindrances as well as the significance of the connection between the mind and soul became evident; so did the vitality of my mental health.

I have always been one to engulf myself in everything around me: the intellectual, social, spiritual and emotional. Suddenly, everything became confined to the walls of my home, and everything began to feel like nothing at all. I was left with my mind, which led to everything that existed within me: the commendable, the questionable, and the unavoidable. It was as if I had lived in a state of continuous ebb and flow, but that same flow gradually became distant. Essentially, the pandemic revealed to me all the deficits, some of which I didn’t even know I was hiding. Prior to the pandemic, my normal was me continuously immersing myself in extracurricular activities as well as school work. With the pandemic, my activities and distraction were no more, and I became irritated. Yes, I enjoyed the liberty of conducting studies and other activities from the comfort of my home, but life became overwhelming.

PROCESS EVERYTHING DIFFERENTLY

In addition to being overwhelmed by my thoughts and this new normal, I was forced to really look at both my parents as more than individuals who aided in my procreation but as people with faults, insecurities, and personal challenges. I started to process everything and everyone differently. While I was managing the balancing act of school life responsibilities, which included preparing for CSEC and being a very involved 17-year old while still trying to maintain a commendable grade point average, everything else became too much. During the week days, it felt as if I was on an academic high, and on the weekends, my suppressed emotions came to light. I was all over the place with my thoughts, and it became too much for me to handle on my own. Because of this, I asked for help and my medical doctor, who was also my therapist, made a recommendation. So I did what many teens (and Jamaicans) are reluctant to do: I began to see a psychologist.

THERAPY SESSIONS

At first, I was guarded, but my Zoom sessions with the psychologist became a weekly process that had me uncovering everything that was suppressed, those that had resurfaced, and anything that had been created because of the pandemic. Although the process of truly opening up was a difficult one that required patience, it was one that I had to remain open to because I was doing it for me. The sessions with the psychologist allowed me to look beyond my academic success and involvement and allowed me to explore everything that I was experiencing and get the needed assistance in a more structured and informed way that others were not able to provide. The benefits of seeking the assistance from a mental health professional far outweigh my initial fears because I am being given tools that have been very helpful now and will be in the future.

Having seen the recent reports across the world, I realised that the matter of mental health and teens, especially during the pandemic, is not unique to me. Therefore, I want other teens who are struggling with their mental health to understand that there is nothing to be ashamed of. According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents. The WHO further reported that “the consequences of not addressing adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults”.

ADDRESS ISSUES NOW

It is better to address those issues now than to suffer the consequences later.

The process of dealing with this “new normal” (psychologist and pandemic) has been one of ebbs and flows, highs and lows, and everything in between. I have been led to do things outside of my own comfort, but I have also used the time to take on new opportunities. Having read about the outcomes for many teens like me dealing with mental health issues, I encourage and implore anyone, but specifically my peers, to seek professional help.

As annoying as the pandemic has been, it has also made me realise that I need to step outside of myself to create distance with the thoughts that suffocate my being to realign my mind, body, and soul so that I may heal them individually and reassemble my broken pieces. As I encourage my peers to seek help, I encourage parents/guardians to pay keen attention and help them to access the professional help they need.

- Dannyelle-Jordan Bailey is a grade 11 student at St Hugh’s High School for Girls. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.