High school is full of deadlines and projects, and all of the stress often causes students to have some, both short and long-term, anxiety. Students are often told that high school is supposed to be the best time of your life, which is a hard standard to uphold when you struggle with depression, anxiety or low self-esteem.

One of the most common outlets of relief for people who are struggling with anxiety or depression seek is self-harming. People who harm themselves are often assumed to have been bullied or abused, when in actuality the bully is often in their own mind. They’re so critical of themselves that their self-confidence plummets. Fellow people who have dealt with the same in their lives are almost always willing to help fellow strugglers

Whether you’re a freshman in high school or senior in college, these problems can occur and vary in severity. Depression can be a struggle for students as well. one in eight students struggle with depression, but very few actually seek help with it

One student who wished to remain anonymous explained that, “talking helps a lot; being able to talk about your feelings and getting it out there is easier than coping with it.” Talking to your guidance counselor, friends, parents and teachers about this can really make it easier to deal with.

There are multiple examples for people and how they feel while in these situations. Getting public transportation can be a difficult thing for some people. When they’re told they have to get on a bus they freeze up, start breathing heavily and sometimes, in a worse case, have an anxiety attack. Being around people you are not comfortable with can trigger anxiety attacks. The experience of an anxiety attack often includes shortness of breath, crying, and nose bleeds

“Performing is one of my favorite things to do, but I can never express myself the way that I want to and that takes big effect on me,” another anonymous source said.

Having to speak, sing, or perform in front of a crowd is a common trigger for anxiety. Having face a anxiety-triggering event often causes trouble sleeping or hair loss. The fear of failure is often overwhelming, and is present during the every thought, breath, and action of the sufferer.

“Because I lack self-confidence, I don’t do most things because I feel like whatever it is I do it won’t work out and someone will end up judging me,” an anonymous source said.

Self-esteem and mental illnesses need to be talked about because they are very often considered taboo though they are very common. The more we talk about it, the more comfortable a sufferer may feel about seeking help for their illness.Self-esteem, though it is difficult to maintain, is critical towards leading a happy and healthy life.