My Personal Battle with Depression & Guiding the Youth of Today (written by Dr. Bisleen Attli, ND)

Depression is a complex and often hidden struggle, especially in students. At All About Mental Empowerment, we are so passionate about the work that we do because both Tara and I struggled with our mental health when we were children.

In this blog post, I am going to take you through my own journey with depression and how it has inspired me to want to support the young people of today.

My journey started in middle school when I was in grade 6. Middle school was a rough time for me as I was bullied for the 3 years that I was there. I remember crying home on the bus every single day. It was a period of deep confusion and sadness for me.

I didn’t know how to process my emotions and work through the difficult feelings I was experiencing. So, when I got to high school I turned to my achievements and appearance as a way to to measure my self-worth and to get the validation that I was craving that I was good enough.

I entered into a toxic relationship when I was in grade 11 that completely turned my world upside down as I didn’t know what a healthy relationship was. This relationship combined with my unprocessed feelings from middle school, led me down a dark path. I started to do poorly in school, I quit all my sports teams, and became someone I didn’t recognize anymore.

I didn’t get the help and support that I needed. Depression felt like it was easy to hide.

It wasn’t until I ended up in the hospital in my second year of university that I was forced to work on my mental health. The more work that I did on myself and the more support I got, the better I felt. The more that I learned, the stronger I got. With the right support and education, I was able to step into my limitless potential and achieve things that I never thought I could!

This is why I am so passionate about what we do with All About Mental Empowerment. I want to be the source of knowledge, support and courage for young students in school. I want to equip them with the tools they need to be successful and build strong mental health so that none of them have to go through what I went through.

I believe that every student is capable of greatness and success if they are provided the right support.

I now want to share with you the 5 signs of depression that are commonly missed in educational settings. Recognizing the signs is the first step to being able to support our students in a healthy way.

#1 - Sudden Disinterest in Previously Enjoyed Activities: 

A student who suddenly loses interest in hobbies or sports that once excited them might be experiencing depression. I quit all my sports teams in grade 12. I made the excuse that I quit so I could spend more time studying, but really, it was because I was experiencing depression and I didn’t want to do anything but lie in bed.

#2 - Unexpected Anger or Outbursts: 

Unlike the common belief that depression always manifests as sadness, some students may exhibit uncharacteristic anger or emotional outbursts. I remember being an extremely angry kid in high school and having tons of uncontrollable, emotional outbursts at home.

#3 - Drastic Change in Academic Performance: 

A significant shift in grades or school engagement can be a cry for help, and signal deeper issues. I started to do extremely poorly in school in grade 11 & 12.

#4 - Physical Symptoms without a Medical Basis:

Frequent complaints of headaches, stomach aches, or other physical ailments with no clear medical cause can be expressions of emotional distress. I did not experience physical symptoms, but a lot of young people often do! If a physical symptom shows up again and again, then it may be due to a psychological condition.

#5 - Intense Perfectionism:

An overwhelming focus on perfection in schoolwork or personal appearance can be a coping mechanism for underlying anxiety and depression. For the first half of high school, I dealt with my big emotions by being a perfectionist in school.

I had 4 out of the 5 signs above and they were still missed! One of the best things that we can do is to educate our students on the signs that they need support, and to create an open environment where they feel comfortable in sharing their feelings. Regular mental health check-ins done with our students can help emphasize these points over and over again because we know that repetition is key with our young people!

Our goal is to touch the lives of millions of students by equipping them with the tools they need to step into their limitless potential.