“Please Aina, I just gave you a single slice,” a sentence I still hear. Not because it's still as horrifying as it used to be, but because it makes me ponder how, each day, countless teenagers might be having the same feeling I once had after hearing it. I knew exactly how not eating that slice of bread could affect my first exam, how I might get dizzy and collapse due to hypoglycemia. Yet, my body wouldn’t allow me to take a single bite. My mum would yell, beg, and do everything in her power, but the nausea had become my constant companion since I started FSC. That nausea was my entire identity back then. Yes, we visited a doctor, but no, he didn’t say it was anxiety. I knew it was, but what could my knowing do? Fast forward to today, as I write this article—not as that helpless teenager, but as an enthusiastic psychology student and a mental health advocate. My goal now is to make the younger generation aware, to ensure they don’t ignore their mind’s language the way I did, and to make a difference.
Breathlessness, nausea, diarrhea—God translates your mental stress into such vivid physical symptoms, hoping maybe now you’ll take action, but still, nothing is done. The outcome? Just look inside yourself for a moment, and you’ll see the damage this ignorance has caused. A survey by Mental Health America revealed that 64% of teens with anxiety and depression believe their issues are just part of life and often go untreated. This is just one example of how little we understand one of the most vital organs of our bodies as human beings.
There is no doubt that as time progresses, so do the issues, especially those facing young people. The mental health of the nation’s future leaders is under threat. From peer pressure to the lack of freedom to choose subjects, and from anxiety over competitive exams to lowered self-esteem fueled by social media, everything contributes to this growing crisis. Comparisons are eating away at the confidence of today’s youth, making it nearly impossible to pursue their true passions in this fast-paced world. And what else could we expect when we oppose the very path we were meant to follow?
Another factor adding fuel to this fire is how far this generation has strayed from creativity. Different forms of creativity not only serve as coping mechanisms but also offer therapeutic benefits, allowing us to express even the darkest corners of our minds. Yet, this too has been replaced by technology. True artists are often shamed or seen as inferior, forcing them to make misguided choices, like opting to study subjects they aren’t passionate about. A 2019 survey by Adobe found that 67% of teachers believe their schools prioritize STEM subjects over creative ones. In the same survey, 85% of Gen Z students (ages 14-23) considered themselves creative, yet only 32% said they actually practiced creativity in their daily lives, citing limited time, academic pressure, and a lack of emphasis on creative activities at school.
All of these factors combined make it a critical time to address mental health. But before we dive deeper, let’s first understand what mental health truly is. It can be described as the delicate balance of thoughts, emotions, and impulses that define how we perceive reality and navigate life’s complexities. It is the silent compass that guides our inner world, shaping our responses, relationships, and ability to adapt and thrive. As the WHO puts it, mental health is a state of well-being that allows people to cope with stress, realize their abilities, learn and work effectively, and contribute to their communities. It is a basic human right and a key factor in personal, community, and socio-economic development.
Now, if it’s this important and affects such a large part of our generation, why are so many cases still going unaddressed? Why do teenage girls and boys cry under their pillows, listen to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and assume that melancholy is just a normal part of life? Why do people choose careers that don’t align with their true passions? Why are we risking the future of our world by ignoring the health of our most vital organ—our minds? One of the most basic reasons is stigma.
Indisputably, increasing awareness has broken many taboos. Social media has provided a platform for spreading the right information. But expressing concerns about mental health is still seen as a sign of weakness. And even if someone does muster the courage to seek help, therapy is often unaffordable.
So, the second question is: what can we do? We can start by breaking this cycle of silence, by tearing down the walls of stigma that suffocate those who silently suffer. It’s time to take mental health as seriously as any other ailment, to understand that the mind too needs healing, care, and attention. We must demand change—demand that our schools teach us not just how to calculate numbers but how to cope with emotions, that our societies stop labeling vulnerability as weakness, and that access to therapy becomes as common as access to a doctor. And it’s not just about educating ourselves—we must bring our elders into this conversation. Teaching them to recognize mental health challenges and to be more open and supportive can create a ripple effect that improves the well-being of entire communities. This generation, our generation, holds the power to reshape the narrative. The change begins now, and it begins with us!
