Silent Epidemic Essay

A fifteen year old girl from Portland, Oregon always felt as if she was different. This girl is named Courtney and she discovered that she is not as different as she thinks. She believed that something was different with her, however, she was unaware of anyone else who was dealing with the same issues. The fact is that Courtney was a part of a silent epidemic of mental illness in young kids. A mental health screening gave her an answer and all she had to do was fill out a questionnaire and answer some interview questions. This silent epidemic is not just with teenagers, however, it is seen throughout all ages in the world and in all regions of the world. This is not just something that needs to be fixed in America. This is a global epidemic …show more content…
It begins with the very basic of understanding mental illness. For example, the idea that someone with a depression can “pull themselves together” is completely ridiculous (“Mental Health and…”). People with a depression require medicine and extensive therapy to help them change their mindset regarding life. Because in the end, some mental illnesses are the result of how someone thinks of themselves and life. A writer, Jamison, stated, “We need to get people interested in the brain, and in the fact that these are very interesting illnesses” (Jamison). Another thing people need to understand is that these illness are truly in the brain and need to be researched. In fact, more than one fifth of the America’s children and teenagers suffer from some degree of impaired functioning as a result of a mental or addictive disorder (“Mental Health and…”). These adolescents are growing up with this impaired functioning during a time when they are still experiencing brain development and learning. Our future is suffering at a time when they are trying to figure out who they are and how to navigate life so far. Without further treatment methods, this epidemic is going to continue occurring with no hope of slowing