Mental health has become so normalized in high school that people compete with their unhealthiness. Have you ever had a conversation with a friend where talking about your struggles felt like a competition? Not sleeping enough, drinking enough, or not having dinner are common examples of what many have been beginning to believe is normal in High School.

In a project report by Daniel Fu as a part of his involvement with the national Center for Mental Health in Schools & Student/Learning, he states that, “Normalization and popularization of mental illness can contribute to distorted ideas and assumptions and even make mental illness into a fad.” Additionally, “ Normalization can discourage those experiencing severe mental illness from opening up and can even cause self-doubt in their own assessment of their mental state.”

Often, a person’s response to unhealthy behaviors dismisses and minimizes another’s experience by comparing their own to what had just been shared. This reaction is almost second nature for many, and it often leads people into believing that this unhealthy lifestyle is (1) a competition, and (2) what you should be feeling and completely normal. Not only is this dangerous, as the person could be horribly ill without realizing it, but it also continues the cycle and affects more people.  

Mental health is deep and confusing, and nobody should ever feel alone. Students need to lift each other up instead of making high school any more difficult than it needs to be. Ignoring, or comparing problems, when healthy alternatives exist, could cost you a friendship- or, worse, a life. 

Everyone processes things differently. Try not to add to the competition. Listen, share, and empathize with each other’s issues. Be understanding. And, above all, take care of yourself.

Fu, Daniel. Normalization and Popularization of Mental Illness and Its Impact: Personal Experience and a Look at Research Findings. https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/normalize.pdf Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.