Unit Two - Mental Health Reflection

Some people use meditation or yoga to prevent

stress and relax their brains. This is

both a physical and mental oriented practice.

Rhode Island Psychological Association explains the connection between mental health and daily life as, "When we are free of depression, anxiety, excessive stress and worry, addictions, and other psychological problems, we are more able to live our lives to the fullest". In the previous unit we explored nutrition and how to better one's physical health, and with the last unit we turned to an equally important unit. While one may be in excellent physical shape, their mental state may be unhealthy and pose a major concern. This unit was certainly more emotional and feelings-oriented than our nutrition unit, but it ultimately led to some important discoveries and new perspectives. Throughout our mental health unit we have delved into the causes of mental health disorders, the characteristics of the different diseases, and how to ultimately combat them.

One step in our Romeo and Juliet DNA lab.

Speakers from "Project Success" and Dr.Stringaris from the "Understanding Depression in Teens" webinar both concur that most common mental health disorders stem from environmental causes, or from genetics. In order to more fully understand genetics, we studied DNA, and got to interact directly with the nucleic acid in our Romeo and Juliet DNA lab. In this experiment we extracted the deoxyribonucleic acid directly from the nucleus of the cells extracted from the cheek tissue within different suspects. We came to understand that each person has a different genetic code, based on the ordering and amount of nitrogenous base pairs within their chromosomes. Because each person has a different genetic makeup, some are more prone to experiencing mental health disorders than others.  The environmental causes are the more predictable causes, such as the loss of a loved one, bullying, or a traumatic event. This was seen firsthand in our "circles" where students shared the stressful events in their lives that were still affecting them mentally today. Whatever the cause, the mental disorder that develops is an issue to be treated just as seriously as a physical issue, and can be combated.

Many mental health issues are commonly addressed, such as depression and anxiety. Yet others can be forgotten, such as post traumatic stress and eating disorders. We explored all different types of disorders, learning that Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder, are all potentially life threatening diseases, that involve an unhealthy intake of food. Substance Abuse also occurs from a lack of control in the amount of substances consumed. PTSD is experienced by 50% of veterans, according to Sebastian Junger in a Ted Talk, yet it may be the problem of our society rather than the soldiers. Our nation is isolated and lacks the tight bonds that could prevent PTSD, and perhaps even disorders such as depression. Stringaris claims that adolescents with major depression are up to 30 times more likely to die of suicide, and this is closely supported by research Project Success presented to us. We witnessed one character admit that she would rather commit suicide than face an event that appeared traumatic to her, in our reenactment of Romeo and Juliet Act IV. Clearly our nation is struggling mentally, not just physically as we learned in the nutrition unit. The question now is, how exactly do we prevent these mental disorders from occuring?

Romeo and Juliet Reenactment Act IV

Sticky notes with kind messages displayed at an
elementary school, and the virtual bulletin board.

The brain of each person reacts slightly differently to different amounts of trauma and stress, being that our genetic code causes each person's brain to vary in structure. If one can overcome the trauma they experience, without letting it linger in their minds for an extended amount of time, they might avoid depression. Others can provide comfort to their minds through meditation or yoga. We had the opportunity to try this approach, which involved clearing the mind and letting yourself totally relax. Different disorders require different approaches for treatment, such as with substance abuse. Here the mind becomes so addicted that other brains need to intervene, which is exactly what happens in Alcohol Anonymous, a program we learned about early on into our unit. Some people require something to totally take their mind off of their issues, which can be found through developing a passion. We got to explore our passions and share them, which can often be a solace or a getaway like the meditation. In one project I created a campaign in an elementary school to spread kindness, which in something that can be underrated in terms of mental health. Jennielynn Holme, of Catholic Charities, explains that in instances such as homelessness, a smile can make the person feel connected and prevent the isolation that tends to occur. The project involved spreading hundreds of kind sticky notes throughout the halls, and having the students create their own. In addition, I created an online bulletin board for people to spread their kindness, which is a therapy in itself. Whatever the disorder might be, there is a healthy way to turn it around, and we learned a lot of important ways within these last two months.

Our core mixes in fun activities,

like this science challenge,

 to balance our stress levels

with the  plethora of assignments

we are dealing with.

Psychologist Kelly McGonigal taught us through a Ted Talk that the way one views stress can affect their mental health, and ultimately their whole well being. Similarly, a few weeks ago I heard an analogy about how stress is like holding a glass of water - you are unaffected by the weight of the glass unless you hold on to it for too long. We all need to remember to set down that glass before it paralyzes us, and I think that is something very relevant to the current topic. Life can get chaotic, especially as a highschooler, and it is important to find a way of letting go of any stresses before they become larger than they need to be and create the mental disorders most common for people our age - depression and anxiety. This unit has allowed me to develop empathy towards people going through mental disorders such as PTSD, eating disorders, and substance abuse, but most of all I think I can say it showed us, the most sensitive group to anxiety and depression, how to avoid holding on to that glass that can really just be set down.


"Useful Psychology Information: Importance of Mental Health." Rhode Island Psychological Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.