The document discusses the issues teens face like depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and substance abuse. It describes a group called Teens Helping Teens where a student leader provides support to teens struggling with various problems. The student leader advocates listening without judgment, encouraging treatment options, removing negative influences, and promoting self-acceptance through compliments and positive thinking.

1. Can you think of the last compliment you received? Can you remember how warm and tingly it made you feel on the inside? Daily I see evidence of eating disorders, drug use, self – esteem issues, self harm, and mental conditions. Many of the people I converse with seem to have one or more of these concerns, they normally state that they don’t have anyone to talk to or they don’t have any friends. People don’t realize how effective a “Hello” or a simple compliment can mean to someone. I believe self-confidence and self- respect, especially among females is ridiculously poor. I advocate being a friend, giving a compliment daily, confidence, and recovery. Teens Helping Teens is a group on MySpace, run by a small town girl, which is for teens who are dealing with any social problem. I am a student leader with the group, meaning anyone can message me and talk about any issue they may be having. Receiving messages has really opened my eyes to how important just a person to talk to really is.<br /> Depression is so prevalent in teens today. On average, one out of every five teenagers has clinical depression. Many teens who message me talk about how they hate feeling sad all the time. They say how they want to “give up” or how they feel worthless. No one should feel a lack of importance. Many of the teens have not been prescribed or they gave up on medications. People with depression have been known to give up on medications after two tries with negative results. Those people often tend to commit suicide. I tell the despondent teens that I believe meds are a good thing, with the right combination, and that they may not get the right combo the first, second, or fifth try. I say that there is a medication out there for them they just need to find. I support the use of help hotlines, especially for the people who really just want someone to vent to, besides me. Teen help hotlines are a great option. They are confidential, they are trained, and they care, and most are 24/7. Telling an adult or someone they really trust is very important. Doctors, teachers, counselors, relatives, or close adults need to know, for safety purposes. I can’t help them from afar, I can only listen. They need to establish solid contacts not via internet. Many worry about telling people, I’m brutally honest in saying, “It will be gut-wrenching and it will not be easy.” But it is worth it. Throughout the conversation I ask cheerful questions about their hobbies, music, pets, or what Halloween costume they liked wearing the best. I do my best to always remain positive and to repeat my points over and over. I know the teens have probably heard things before like, “It’s just a phase.” or “You can overcome this, think positive.” or my personal favorite, “You should journal your feelings.” I stay away from generic phrases about depression recovery. I speak with honesty. Things are not effortless, you may be clinically depressed not just another sad teen, and relapse is common. They need to know the truth. I believe with the truth and positive reinforcement behind them depression can be treated safely. <br />I hear a lot about self harm relating to depression. Self harm can be defined as the deliberate act of harming yourself other than suicide, according to dictionary.com. Cutting, burning, hitting, scratching, substance abuse, and eating disorders are just a few of the major examples. People often inflict self harm because it gives them a sense of control that they don’t feel they have anymore. Self harm gives a “high” that makes the person only feel good for maybe ten minutes. Each time their tolerance increases and they then need to injure more often and more severely to achieve that temporary “high.” When they come down from the “high” they only feel just as bad if not worse than they did before. Getting rid of a tool they may use to self injure is something I suggest, or to keep their hands busy with stress balls or cards if their hands are their tools. People often express how they may have overcome self harm but the scars make them cringe with memory. Scar remover was made for a reason. I think scars are important, they remind us of the past, and the past is the past. They need to be reminded that they can recover from this destructive habit. <br />The media is the horrible originator of society’s depictions of perfection. People are so consumed with their ideas of what they should look like to the point where it becomes unhealthy. One out of every two girls I know has dealt with some form of an eating disorder or self image distortions. Just because someone is not stick-thin does not mean they do not have an eating disorder. Eating disorders are mental thoughts carried out through physical actions. The general public considers eating disorders to be bulimia, anorexia, or obesity. A food related disorder can also include habits such as, putting on excessive condiments, tearing or rearranging of food, calorie counting, or excessive exercising. This disorder is often derived from the sense of lack of control. I suggest that people dealing with this issue write out the eating habits they do, watch the HBO documentary Thin, and to look at the hotlines. Eating disorders are so dangerous; my friend has passed out from taking so many diet pills. She is in great shape and has no reason to feel uncomfortable in her own skin. I have dealt with body images myself but my friend one day said, “I hated my tall and lanky shape, I just had to learn to own it.” That term of ownership stuck with me and now I pass the idea on. Most of these teens simply have a distorted self image; they look in the mirror and only see flaws that don’t exist. Many of these teens are beautiful or handsome in my eyes and I see none of the flaws they talk of. They usually don’t know the normal body size for their age, sex, and height, I point that out. Natural beauty is the best beauty. Everyone has it, they just need to be confident and own it. Wearing no makeup and wearing my hair all messy to school has made me more confident. No one thinks less of me because of my dressing like I just rolled out of bed, odds are I just did. I also take pride in knowing I am confident enough to look like a hot mess. It’s not cocky, it’s confident. Most people just need a plan to follow and a friend to help them through it, that’s why I joined the Teens Helping Teens, I like listening to others. I remember certain compliments people have said to me; you can make someone’s day with a compliment. I compliment like your Grandma does, genuine and constant.<br />Using guesstimation, I would probably say ten people out of my 135 student grade do not do illegal substances. Drinking and drugs are second nature on the weekends to all of my friends. No, I do not consider them negative people. Have a few of them been negative, yes. Those select negative few I have hung with, enjoyed their company, hated their company, regretted meeting them, and then removed them from my friends. Substance abuse is something I almost assume everyone that messages me partakes in. It’s a very safe assumption. Substance use is one thing for recreational purposes and it’s another to use for escape. Use for escape is what most teens I talk to do. It is a makeshift happy feeling which is what they have been longing for. It allows them to forget and avoid present problems. Yes, some substances are worse than others, like pills vs. weed. I always suggest to teens who deal with pills or more extreme things beyond weed and alcohol, that they remove all sources. In general I suggest they go through their contacts and eliminate negative influencers. Peers are often the ones who bring about drugs and drinking. In any case I believe eliminating enablers is a necessary extreme, cold turkey style. Many kids who are involved with these substance struggles tend to tell me that their parents have also dealt with similar situations. Addiction, I believe, is genetic. I have an addictive personality and I’m still becoming more familiar with it. I do all I can to avoid ecstasy and acid, which are most prevalent with some of my peers, because I know I would become addicted to them quickly. I state just some of the physical harms drugs and drinking can do to someone’s body, beyond the common knowledge. These kids all too often hear, “Drugs kill brain cells.” and, “You can die from alcohol poisoning the first time you drink.” Yes, these are true but they need to hear facts that affect them personally. They don’t realize only three months of pill use can lead to stomach ulcers and intestinal surgery. They need to hear more about how drugs affect them with their skin and weight; that seems to be what they normally care about. I don’t want to be taking anything that affects my appearance; I assume self-conscious people wouldn’t want that either. I believe substance use amongst teens is beyond the point of repair and that people need to get use to the fact that many teens indulge in some illegal substance. Society just needs to examine why a teen may be using and, though all ways are dangerous, to what extremity the teen is using.<br />I feel I am a hippie at heart. I think people should hug each other and love their neighbors. When I stumbled upon Teens Helping Teens it was a new door for me. I really feel like I am finally helping people to the extent I want to. The kids that message me just need a good friend. I spread honesty and compliments that are genuine. One phrase that lead me to all of my positive thinking, a phrase I use in a lot of art projects, a phrase I pass along is, “You are the brightest star, and I’m in love with who you are.” -Between the Trees<br />