Research conducted in 2015 found that over 3 million adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 had experienced at least one major depressive episode within that past year. One major symptom of depression in teenagers is poor school performance. This illness is not limited to kids who are failing, don’t show up to school, or come from poor homes. In fact, many honors and AP students in high school suffer from depression and/or go through major depressive episodes along with an array of other mental illnesses.

Teachers, do you really think that the student in the front of the room who has never gotten lower than a B really just stopped turning in homework because they didn’t feel like it? Is that also why they stopped talking to their friends or participating in their usual after-school activities? It’s possible, but trust me, that doesn’t just happen overnight without a good reason. When depression hits, it is not necessarily gradual. It’s not kind and considerate.

One day you just find yourself lying on your bed, staring at a wall and not thinking about anything. Or perhaps you can’t sleep one night because of all the thoughts rambling about in your head. You may find yourself in tears for reasons you’re not even aware of, or for reasons you’d rather just not think about. It’s times like these when school work is on the back burner.

It’s not just a lack of motivation preventing students from being able to get their work done. It’s trying to learn about the gilded age while there is a giant weight resting in your brain. It’s looking at math problems on a paper and not being able to comprehend what it’s saying even if math is your best subject. The growing number of missing and late assignments in your gradebook is not out of laziness. We don’t think we are above your deadlines or that we deserve special treatment. At least not all of us do.

Throwing counselor power points in our face and telling us that the school is there to support us means nothing to us. Realistically, the school will not give us special exception for deadlines because of poor mental health. Even if a student were diagnosed with clinical depression, they will be turned away if they dare to ask for any help in this regard. Everyone knows counselors can’t do anything unless you have x, y, or z problem. Or if you say the wrong thing in the wrong context your parents will get called and told something you were trying to keep from them in the first place. This results in some kids kicking and screaming to get into the counselor’s office, and kids yelling and struggling wishing that they had never gone in the first place.

I promise that I am trying to learn. I promise we are not trying to be disrespectful. It is difficult to do my homework when I can barely gather up the will power to eat. Please let me try to take care of myself.