Beautiful inside and out, Kianga van Oerle shines a light in the darkness
Teen hopes parents, teachers and guardians will pay attention to teens who suffer from mental healh and offer them support.
Kianga van Oerle (16) lives in Westdene and is filled with wisdom and compassion for people who might be struggling with anxiety or mental health concerns.
Below she writes to shed light on the topic from the perspective of a teenager.
Speaking from the perspective of the younger generation, mental health is a very prevalent issue amongst the youth, but it seems to be an issue often dismissed by the older generations, like our parents, teachers, or guardians.
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There are various types of mental health disorders and illnesses, ranging from anxiety disorders to eating disorders. Mental health can also be used in a more general, for example, one can be in a bad space, or struggling with mental health generally.
The pressures and expectations of young students from their schools is insane, students do not have time to properly check in and care for themselves, societal pressures from various people surrounding them are growing, and on top of that home life can be a factor for some, personal reasons and so much more.
Often times young people do not know how to handle or find suitable ways to cope when they are struggling with mental health, they tend to brush it off or jump to extremes like self-harm or suicide. Both of these options are plainly for the worse.
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In a lot of cases, a child’s mental health is shut down by their guardians or whomever they may speak to, and that often comes from a lack of understanding. It doesn’t come across like that, it comes across as “you have no reason to feel bad, anxiety isn’t real, you don’t need a therapist, mental health doesn’t exist”.
Mental health is an issue that isn’t going to be eliminated from society anytime soon, creating spaces where our adults can learn and gain an understanding of what it actually entails and ways to deal with it would be a beneficial idea to them and the children.
Spaces, where youth can also express themselves and seek help in an area where they feel comfortable and safe, would help a lot of young children, especially those from more underprivileged backgrounds who cannot afford therapy.
It’s not just made up, mental health exists.
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