THE CHRISTIAN TEEN’S RESPONSE TO
MENTAL ILLNESS
By Martha Brunn Ulmer
Jenny wore longsleeved sweaters and anklelength pants to school, always, no matter what the weather. She slipped along the fringes of the crowd as students passed from one class to another, carefully avoiding bodily contact with others. She hurried to duck into a classroom before the door was closed. If she happened to be a few seconds late and found herself forced to open a door, she’d pull down the sleeve of her sweater to cover her hand before touching the doorknob. In the restroom, Jenny scrubbed her hands at least three times, both before and after using the toilet. At lunch Jenny always sat apart from others, and she never let her food or her hands touch the table. Jacob was unpredictable. Some days he’d come to school and keep all his classes in an uproar with his antics. He would speak out of turn, laugh loudly, and brag about his grades or his plans for the weekend. Occasionally Jacob would explode in a temper, surprising everyone with how quickly his anger spiked. But the next day he might show up late, slump unresponsively in his chair during classes, and speak hardly a word all day. Kids gave Aubrey lots of space. She was odd…she didn’t make much eye contact, for one thing. Somehow it seemed she was never on the same page, conversationally, with other people. And she could often be heard talking to herself or to someone who wasn’t there. Was she hearing voices? Do you know a Jenny, a Jacob, or an Aubrey? You probably do. Jenny has a mental illness called obsessive compulsive disorder. Jacob is bi-polar, and Aubrey suffers from schizophrenia. These are just a few examples of the serious mental illnesses that are found in the teen population today. People with these conditions often struggle just to accomplish
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daily tasks. Jenny spends so much time washing that she has trouble getting her homework done. Her hands are raw and red all the time, but she is compelled to continue scrubbing them. When Jacob is in his depressive state, even starting his homework can be a huge undertaking. And the voices keep Aubrey so busy; she often can’t even hear what the teacher is saying. Serious mental illness is not the same thing as having mood swings or a quirky personality. Mental
