Lately a big topic on the media has been mental illness and, more specifically, how they should be treated, and that’s a hard question to answer. The brain is complex and different mental illnesses have been proven to affect the brain in different ways. As we learn more about each illness, new questions arise about what causes these illnesses, especially in teenagers. According to CNN, of 10,000 teens surveyed, one in three show signs of anxiety disorder and it has been found that 8.3 percent of teens have generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias. These are concerning numbers and many have come to the conclusion that these are all caused by stress. This is unsurprising because high school is hard and trying to deal with mental disorders while keeping your grades up can be difficult. Even so, allowing teens to completely avoid the situations that causes the stress is not the answer.
There is no easy solution to a complex issue such as a mental illness. School is reality, and learning healthy practices to deal with the stress is a better solution than just taking a day off. Therapy, medication, or even just talking it out are all healthier ways to deal with one’s mental illness.
Sick days from school are would not fix the problem, it would just prolong it. The stress caused by school will only be pushed off if students with anxiety choose to stay at home. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes everyone needs a personal day, but making it a regular thing can seriously affect your educational and social life. Usually physical illnesses have a predictable end date, but not mental illnesses, which can sometimes take years to get over.
Staying away from school may also hinder your recovery from a mental illness. Staying away from school is a way to isolate yourself, which is often a sign that a teen has depression. Isolation is a dangerous habit, it can prevent the development of important social skills which can continue to affect the student into adulthood. Also, the build up of schoolwork may actually cause more stress and excess worrying which can cause even more anxiety
Overall, allowing students to stay at home instead of helping them deal with their mental disorders is a lazy solution. There are better solutions, schools can fund mental health education, and offer the support of counselors. Something must be done about the substantial amount of mental disorders, but the over simplified solution of just letting students to skip school will only hold them back.