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I'm 15 years old and currently still at school. I have been self harming and bulimic since I was 13 but didn't tell anyone until I was 14. There were teachers at my school aware of my mental illnesses but they didn't do anything about it, maybe they didn't know what to do. So I had to go to the school counsellor myself, a decision I found very difficult. She was very caring and never judged me, she just listened. However I had to wait about 3 months until I started seeing her because of the waiting list and the priority of my illness, which was apparently lower than others. This really didn't help things, and made me feel insignificant and like I was just a pain. Once I did get the counselling I found it really helpful, she gave me ways to distract myself and didn't force me to stop straight away but gradually, whilst trying to get me to focus on the support I could get around me. Although I still had to wait sometimes up to 3 weeks until I saw her again.

I think it is so important for teachers to learn about the common mental illnesses teenagers face today, they should have a general idea of the subject and training in how to deal with them. Then they won't judge you or single you out because they find it a difficult subject. It should also be taught to students from year 9 onwards so they know exactly what to do if they or a friend starts to feel any symptoms of mental illnesses and to minimize bullying. This could be done in PSE lessons as part of the syllabus.

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