By Muruelle Teri,
Staff Writer.
As students, prioritizing mental health is challenging. Simply recognizing the need for help can be a challenge for many students. Feelings of disappointment, self-doubt, depression and sadness cause students to struggle, potentially leading to severe mental health conditions. It is important that students are aware of when, where and how they can get help when they need it.
With students heading further into the school year, classes are growing more stressful. For students participating in extracurriculars, in or outside of school, maintaining good grades while being involved creates a lot of stress. This chronic stress tends to become a part of their lives, and recognizing the need for help becomes more difficult.
It is understandable for many students to go through this phase throughout the school year. However, with the assistance of our new campus-based Wellness Center, students who are feeling overwhelmed have the opportunity to seek help. The Wellness Center is located in the main building next to the MPR.
Jita Parekh, the school-based therapist at SRHS, said, “Right now if a student needs help, I think the best way is to go to the counseling office and they will let me know so that if there is somebody here to see them then we could bring them over.”
There are different ways students can gain access to the Wellness Center. It is recommended to check in at the attendance office first but they can also go directly there if they need to. However, before entering there will be a sign at the door that will indicate if the Wellness Center is open. This is due to the fact that there is currently no adult who can supervise the Wellness Center. Therefore, one should make sure the Wellness Center is available before going in.
It is not easy to address mental health. However, knowing that the Wellness Center is a safe place to access help is very important. Anyone is welcome to come in and get help or even just visit. No one is alone, and help is always available here at Santa Rosa High School.
