Having a chronic illness feels like a rollercoaster. One minute everything is stable, and the next you are rapidly going downhill. Your body feels numb, and everything is throbbing and aching with every movement you make. Being a high school student and having a chronic illness can be very difficult. While sitting in class you feel like you are zoning out, or you feel your body burning, and you can’t do anything about it. Whether it’s having anxiety, diabetes, or an autoimmune disorder, it all matters when you first start adapting to your new way of life at a young age. That is why all schools need a support system for these students. 

There are many problems that all school systems have faced in dealing with chronic illnesses. One is the inability of students to feel supported by others. I developed a connective tissue disorder within a year, which took a toll on my mental and physical health. The mental space I was in was very negative and depressive, and I felt like I was making no progress with my health. I also lost most of my physical mobility, and wouldn’t be able to do anything without having someone hold me so that  I wouldn’t fall. The next couple of months were one of the hardest things I had ever had to go through. Many have had to deal with anxiety or chronic diseases, and being in school for a full day can cause a lot of pressure. From my experience, I wouldn’t even be able to stay in school for a whole day because of the excruciating amount of pain. Having a school support system is crucial for all students to have a place to reset. 

Sophomore Grant Glisson has Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is a disorder that can affect a child’s concentration and lead to hyperactivity. ADHD is a common disorder among adolescents, which can be difficult for high school students because of the attentiveness required by classes and activities. Everything in one’s head can feel like it’s going all over the place, and being unable to focus on one thing at a time because of all the worries piling up in a student’s brain can be tough. 

“Trying to stay focused and on task to get my work done is hard for me because [of] ADHD. I do a lot of procrastinating. Sometimes, I just try to get myself together, but there [are] times where it can be difficult,” Glisson said. 

Procrastination is one symptom that many kids with ADHD struggle with. Even when he tries to stay engaged with his work, Glisson often finds it arduous to get through the day. Although he does try to give it his all, some people may think that he is not trying enough. Ever since I was diagnosed with my autoimmune disorder, I felt like I wasn’t trying enough because my grades were not where I wanted to be, which made it very hard for me to adapt to a new shift in my education standards. I didn’t want to be the last student to finish a test or have to ask countless questions, but I constantly had to tell myself that it was okay to ask for help. 

“I think [schools could] be more understanding. They need to realize that kids aren’t perfect and that [whether] they are diagnosed or not, a lot of kids have ADHD. Some people [don’t] always get diagnosed. I believe people need to be more understanding, and that kids are trying to do the best they can,” Glisson said. 

Navigating a chronic illness in high school can become very challenging. Students with chronic illnesses may have a hard time with their academic performance, social life, or mental well-being. Feeling the emotional stress from these outcomes can be overwhelming, especially in the face of peer pressure. From my personal experience, trying to get through school and hanging out with friends became way too hard for me, so I had to step back and think about what was good for myself. I slowly started to realize that it is okay if I can’t do everything I want to do. 

Sophomore Payton Dean has dealt with the prolonged weight of anxiety in multiple stages of her life. Dean has felt the pressure of people not understanding the reality of her mental and physical health struggles firsthand. 

“Last year, I had a lot of absences [in one class], to the point where I felt like I was never there. I felt [my] teacher was not helping my mental health. I already had so much going on; physically being in that classroom made it worse. I think that schools need to be aware that students have things going on in their lives outside of school, and being aware of our problems is very important, as well as feeling their support,” Dean said.

Many students have felt pressure from being in a “normal” school environment, so schools need to be aware of these problems and help students navigate throughout the day. Because of these stressors, chronic illnesses can exacerbate a child’s anxiety. In my case, not being able to walk or be a normal teenager made me feel out of order because I didn’t want to be ‘different.’ Schools need to be more aware of the amount of hardships children with chronic illnesses go through and help them feel supported throughout the day. Children don’t want to feel alone when going through these hardships. 

When I went through my illness in the beginning, I felt like no one understood me. A support system plays a major part in recovering because you don’t feel isolated. While having a support system, I slowly continued to get better because my mom helped me through this new journey of mine, and on top of that I had my best friend and my family all around me. 

One way schools can help these kids is by encouraging self-advocacy. Many children are scared to advocate for their needs, and if the students don’t communicate, the teacher won’t

know how to help them. The student and teacher need to find ways to communicate with one another, while also showing the student support. Children with these illnesses may feel some type of sadness or worry, which may cause them to feel even more pressure to do well in school. This year, when I started going back to school in person again after a few months of doing it online, I felt a tightness in my chest. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. It took me a while to realize that this is my new body and it is ok to not always get the same results as before. If you try and you still don’t get the best outcome, it is okay. 

The feeling of not being able to be a normal teenager can cause an increase in anxiety because we just want to be able to be ourselves again. Having a support system is beneficial for children with chronic illnesses because it can help them learn to fight through it and have an extra layer of support from friends, family, and even teachers. Schools need to be highly aware of the mental and physical struggles students go through, to help us feel validated and comforted.

“[An] important part of our lives are our grades and the decisions we make are going to set the tone for the rest of our lives, but you also have to make sure that you’re in a positive mindset to be able to handle school,” Dean said. “That’s why I think that making sure school is a safe environment for us can help us get the things that are important done.”