STRUGGLES

but it was actually a side instances when he is just next thing he knows he falls twitching. for a bit and it has led to said.

with ADHD at 9 and anxiety has caused him to symptoms, including seizure-like and fainting. It takes very triggered, so Jacob deals daily basis.

also has taken a toll on hard to make and keep

“Once I started having these reactions] I lost friends friends I had really did seem to want to talk to me as people just usually didn’t talk to me because they concerned and didn’t want anything to do with me,” Jacob doesn’t take medication, improve and lessen his counseling. Though therapy has struggles with a lot of ADHD and anxiety, such as been greatly affected and good way of getting that the mend, it is going to be back,” Jacob said.

Nicole essay while she saw distracted her and threw her She ended up getting a 65 her grades and focus only with combination ADHD

(ADHD and ADD), general anxiety and depression after her mom took her to the doctor to find out why she could not focus.

“Having so many people not understand me as a person and always disregarding my ADHD and ADD always brings me down,” Nicole said.

Nicole bounces her legs, taps her fingers, talks a mile-a-minute and gets distracted very easily due to her ADHD. This causes her to loose focus very easily and not be bale to concentrate.

“I try so hard in school but sometimes I can’t focus no matter what I do,” Nicole said. “Family and friends never understood why I could not focus until I got diagnosed. It contributes so much to my anxiety because I feel like I am never going to be good enough.”

Nicole’s doctor prescribed her Adderall, Prozac, Hydroxyzine, Brilla and vitamins to help combat her mental disorders. Although these prescriptions help her tremendously, there are still some noticeable side effects in her daily life and in her relationships.

Nicole has gathered more coping mechanisms, like sitting in a quiet room to calm down before a test, as time has gone by. Even so, her friends and family still worry about her.

“At some point, my disorder got so bad that it took over my life. It was hard to see my grades drop to rock bottom and my family worrying about me all of the time,” Nicole said.

“I liked the idea of giving students more opportunities for growth and support,” Pezzoli said.

On Jan. 26, assistant principal and club sponsor Kristi Draus met with a group of students to go over design plans and make sure the space would be comfortable for all. Eventually, Draus hopes to start initiatives, programs and events to provide students with mental health resources, including a podcast that students can relate to.

“[We want] it to be student voices, talking to students instead of grown folks thinking we know what’s best for you all the time,” Draus said.

Ali’s Hope was founded by Joe Gallagher, whose daughter Allyson committed suicide in 2007. After a student at Lake Mary committed suicide in 2019, administrators turned to the nonprofit organization as a way to help others suffering with mental illness.

“Ali’s Hope was instrumental to [Lake Mary] in ensuring that we had mental health support for students,” counselor Andrea Fuhrer said.

As Ali’s Hope spread across Seminole County, Hagerty jumped on board with a similar approach. Its temporary name, Wellness Club, will be a safe space for students in room 7-215 to go to during both lunches. This space will aim to serve students who might usually eat by themselves or to help them decompress before continuing with the rest of their day.

“[High school is] a lot, so we’re taking in those things and creating that space,” Draus said.

Although the space is meant to improve the wellbeing of students, Draus hopes it will also diffuse issues like bullying and discrimination.

“It doesn’t matter how successful you are academically if you’re not well as a human [being],” Draus said.

Ultimately, the group hopes to provide students with the support they need to know they are not alone and how to reach out for help. Some students come from cultures where mental health support is not highly supported, so this new program gives those students a voice.

“We want to break down the mental health stigmas at Hagerty and focus on how mental health isn’t a sign of weakness,” Pezzoli said.

Because the program is by students for students, those in charge are looking for their peers’ input on design or ideas to fit the needs of everyone. The Wellness Club serves to give students a voice who never had one before.