Post by Admin on Jun 22, 2015 21:16:25 GMT
There is some scientific evidence supporting the idea that chronic stress can lead to depression in depression-vulnerable individuals. For me, I am almost positive it was a major factor (if not the primary factor), and I am quite sure that it was school and the way I tried to navigate it that was the lead cause of persistent stress in my life. It certainly didn’t help that I had learning differences that took a long time to get recognized, and that even when they were recognized continued to cause me to need a considerably longer amount of time than most to complete most assignments. Another factor that contributed to chronic stress during this time was how I managed (or chose not to manage) my time. For some, this may seem to be a good opportunity to jump in and defend the school system ("you see it's not school it's just poor executive functioning"), but there is a perspective here that I would ask such individuals to consider with an open mind.
I went to a school called Beacon High School. For what it’s worth, this is a specialized high school, and a theoretically progressive place. Many teachers did talk a handful of times about time management (mainly procrastination and not pulling all-nighters). The motivating reasons were, basically, "your work will be better, and you will avoid unnecessary stress".
As a person who took much longer than the average person to do homework assignments, I was quite often faced with a choice between spending time with friends, doing things that were meaningful to me, and generally “having a life” and starting my work early enough to avoid late nights, all-nighters, last-minute panics, and most importantly the constant, nagging stress of a large assignment that was waiting for me and that I may or may not have to stay up all night to do and that even then I may or may not be able to finish. Some may see this choice as a matter of executive functioning, and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. But for me, enough time was involved that it felt like a choice about identity. Namely, whether or not I wanted to have one. So, I chose procrastination. I chose self-determination. I chose identity. I chose being a teenager. I knew the repercussions wouldn't be pretty, but for me, where my values were at that time, it made sense to just do it anyway. So what if my work suffered a little and I had some unpleasant experiences? It was WORTH it.
Right?
I could write a book here about everything that followed and all the ways it WASN'T worth it. I could write about the gradual loss of positive emotions. Dysphoric fits so intense that I physically shook and often hit, bit, or scratched myself. Suicidal ideation. Suicide attempts. Constant, almost physical pain that didn't/doesn't quite seem to be coming from anywhere in or on my body.
Instead, I would like to focus on this:
Students deserve to know that persistent, unmanaged stress can lead to devastating health problems.
Teaching this information is not just some nice thing it would be good if schools decided to do. In the context of our society and the compulsory education system it enforces, not teaching this information equates to allowing young souls to be injured and broken with the machinery of the educational system itself. This is not a matter of charity, but of urgent moral obligation, as is teaching students OF ALL LEARNING STYLES tools and strategies for navigating academic success in a healthy way.
I went to a school called Beacon High School. For what it’s worth, this is a specialized high school, and a theoretically progressive place. Many teachers did talk a handful of times about time management (mainly procrastination and not pulling all-nighters). The motivating reasons were, basically, "your work will be better, and you will avoid unnecessary stress".
As a person who took much longer than the average person to do homework assignments, I was quite often faced with a choice between spending time with friends, doing things that were meaningful to me, and generally “having a life” and starting my work early enough to avoid late nights, all-nighters, last-minute panics, and most importantly the constant, nagging stress of a large assignment that was waiting for me and that I may or may not have to stay up all night to do and that even then I may or may not be able to finish. Some may see this choice as a matter of executive functioning, and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. But for me, enough time was involved that it felt like a choice about identity. Namely, whether or not I wanted to have one. So, I chose procrastination. I chose self-determination. I chose identity. I chose being a teenager. I knew the repercussions wouldn't be pretty, but for me, where my values were at that time, it made sense to just do it anyway. So what if my work suffered a little and I had some unpleasant experiences? It was WORTH it.
Right?
I could write a book here about everything that followed and all the ways it WASN'T worth it. I could write about the gradual loss of positive emotions. Dysphoric fits so intense that I physically shook and often hit, bit, or scratched myself. Suicidal ideation. Suicide attempts. Constant, almost physical pain that didn't/doesn't quite seem to be coming from anywhere in or on my body.
Instead, I would like to focus on this:
Students deserve to know that persistent, unmanaged stress can lead to devastating health problems.
Teaching this information is not just some nice thing it would be good if schools decided to do. In the context of our society and the compulsory education system it enforces, not teaching this information equates to allowing young souls to be injured and broken with the machinery of the educational system itself. This is not a matter of charity, but of urgent moral obligation, as is teaching students OF ALL LEARNING STYLES tools and strategies for navigating academic success in a healthy way.