WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington High School senior Jess Lifton shared her powerful story with the Wilmington School Committee last night.
Lifton has battled anxiety, depression and anorexia as a student at Wilmington Middle School and Wilmington High School. She even attempted to take her own life, spending several months in the hospital.
Lifton is now opening up about her personal struggles to bring attention to the “gaping hole” in Wilmington’s curriculum when it comes to educating students about mental health.
Below is the essay she read at the meeting, shared with permission:
Imagine for a moment, you wake up one day to find out your best friend, or your student, or your child tried to commit suicide that night. While you were peacefully asleep, they were consumed with the belief that they would be better off dead. Earlier that day they were acting a little funny, but you thought nothing of it. They are in the hospital now, getting their stomach pumped and having their vital signs monitored after swallowing a bottle of Tylenol.
In 2011, suicide was the second leading cause of death among teens ages 15-19. Mental illness is a rising problem among youth, but what is being done about it? Schools could say it’s being “taught” in health class, but it doesn’t hit home on the issue. Schools need to talk more about the problems surrounding suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and other mental health issues. In our own school, there are students suffering silently day by day. By addressing mental health issues in a more profound manner to connect with each other as human beings, we can put an end to other problems such as drug and alcohol abuse.
Let’s start with the Wilmington High School’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey; it was found that: 12.5% of students reported having hurt or injured themselves on purpose in the past twelve months. That is about 100 students in this very building. 11% of students reported having seriously considered attempting suicide. That is about 88 students. 7.1% reported having attempted suicide in the past 12 months. That is about 57 students. These results are only covering a limited number of the countless mental health concerns. One may find these numbers shocking, but if you think of the stress this generation has on them with the competitiveness of school and college, the pressure placed on them by social media, and trying to have a balanced social life with all the school work they get, you’ll understand why these numbers are so high. Mental illness, particularly depression, has been presumed to be one of the primary health afflictions of the coming decades.
I have personally struggled with mental health issues, including Anorexia Nervosa, depression, and anxiety. I had suicidal ideations every single day. I had attempted suicide. Freshman year I missed three months of school to be treated for my depression and anxiety. Those three months I could have spent in school with my friends, furthering my education, but instead I spent the second quarter of school in the hospital. If I had only learned more about mental illness in school, I wouldn’t have had to miss so much of freshman year. If there were at least two assemblies every year addressing mental illness and coping skills for it and more curriculum surrounding mental health taught in health classes, I know that there would be at least one other person who wouldn’t have to miss three months of school.
Health classes are mandatory in school and are constantly being updated in terms of teaching students about the value of nutrition and exercise. This is admirable since obesity and diabetes are one of the main health threats for our generation and future generations, but there continues to be a gaping hole in the curriculum when it comes to mental illness. Considering depression is one of the leading causes of chronic illness in the developed world, it astounds me that we have yet to arm students with arguably the most important tool to help direct them throughout their adult lives. That is, to give young people an insight on their mental health.
Personally, my battle with mental health began when I was in 7th grade. A little 13 year old girl who didn’t know anything about mental health. I was struggling with my body image and ended up starving myself. Of course I knew that I wasn’t eating enough thanks to health classes, but I didn’t know why I felt the way I did or how to stop it. The summer after 7th grade I was on my death bed. 73 pounds, heart rate in the 30s, not able to move without becoming dizzy. This is the harsh reality of mental illness, especially Anorexia which is the mental illnesses with the highest fatality rate. In middle school I was taught very little surrounding mental health, even though what students are really struggling with at that age is finding themselves. The middle school health curriculum should cover mental illness before drugs and alcohol since they can be directly related to mental health.
A leading cause of drug and alcohol abuse is as a coping mechanism for anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and other mental illnesses. If someone doesn’t know they have a mental health condition, they may turn to drugs to self-medicate. The drugs help to numb the feelings one has associated with their mental illness. Yes, this does help in the moment, but is dangerous since on top of a mental health problem the person then has an addiction to deal with. This might be why some of the 32.2% of WHS’s freshmen, sophomores, and juniors reported having used alcohol in the past 30 days in the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. If mental health was taught more effectively in schools, students wouldn’t be afraid of it and cover it up with these addictive and dangerous behaviors.
There is a stigma behind mental illness, in which one may think all people with a mental illnesses are psychotic or dangerous or weird. This is not the case. I’m sure you know at least one person who has a mental illness but you don’t even know it. They may have received treatment at some point but you aren’t able to tell because they are functioning, productive members of society. By teaching students about this using real people, they will be able to learn that the stigma is false and having a mental illness is not shameful.
As you can see mental illness is a growing problem among today’s youth. It is vital for schools to teach students about mental health, considering that about 50% of lifetime mental illnesses are first displayed by the age of 14. This topic must be covered in a way that students can learn about the different symptoms of mental illness, learn coping skills, and the assurance that asking for help is okay if or when they are struggling. By updating the health curriculum surrounding mental illness to include coping mechanism for rough times, having volunteer speakers come in to talk about their struggles with mental illness, and teaching students to recognize warning signs of mental illness, we can help get students set on the best path for college and life in general.
As a community, we all need to come together to bring attention to this rising issue, before the 7.1% of our school who has attempted suicide turns into 10, 15, 20 percent. The numbers are growing each year, but yet little has been done. This is your chance to help our future generation have the best chance at a long, successful, happy life. Will you take it?
School Committee members thanked Lifton for sharing her story. (Lifton was not on the agenda and shared it under “Public Comments.” Members did not know it was coming.)
“You’re one of the most courageous people I’ve met in a long time,” said Chairwoman Peggy Kane. “Thank you for sharing.”
“This is something we’re working on,” acknowledged Superintendent Mary DeLai. “It’s something I have heard loud and clear… The areas of behavioral health and mental health had been neglected prior to my arrival 1.5 years ago. You inspire us to work faster.”
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