1 in 5 students deal with depression before they reach adulthood. If you’re mentally healthy, this number may seem far away or inapplicable, but believe it or not, many people around you are suffering from this condition. As tests get harder, and bullying rates increase with use of social media, depression and self-harm are vital topics to keep in discussion.

From experience, and with my experience with others, dealing with the weight of staying mentally healthy can feel like you’re a fully blown balloon maneuvering around never ending sharp objects and trying not to pop.

It’s a dark and sad state, and can only be further worsened when you don’t have people around you as a support system, or you’re being bullied so badly you begin to feel as if you deserve to stay that way. Not only is depression scary and lonely for those who have it, but it also leaves individuals feeling like there is no way out, no light at the end of a dark tunnel.

At Interlake, with extreme pressure to do rigorous courses and with the constant presence of social media’s standards hanging over our heads, for many it can feel like the only way out is to hurt themselves. That leaves us with some questions: How can we prevent students from self-harm? How can we help a friend who we think is struggling? What are ways we can help them?

To prevent self-harm from happening in the first place, try to be kinder to those around you at school; you never know what they’re going through. Try to smile at the new girl in your French class, talk to the boy who always sits alone at lunch, and don’t pick on someone, even if other people are doing it. Instead, try to stand up for them.

If your someone you know may be displaying symptoms of depression and has possibly self-harmed in the past or is currently self-harming, the most important thing to do is offer your support. Be kind, because everyone needs a helping hand. Try to understand why they feel the way they do instead of judging them. If you’re a teen, tell a trusted adult.  The worst thing you could do is to let it pass by and not do anything. If you see something, say something.

And to those who are afflicted by this pain, you are not alone. As lonely and scary as it all seems, you’re not going to drown. There are people in this world who value your existence and your health. If you believe you are going to hurt yourself, and feel as if you have no one to go to, call the self-injury hotline 1-800-273-TALK. Things will get better, you’re not alone.

Here is a comic created by an Interlake student. It depicts the sadness associated with self-harm, as well as the negative implications of bullying and the importance of giving support to those who need it.