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insecure as they started to think that they were different from everyone else. However, what is depression and anxiety, and what is the starting point for these issues? If a person was feeling ill would you buy them a gift? If your friend broke her arm would you support her? The answer is probably yes. Then how come, when someone gets depressed and they feel low, they just get ignored or as seen as 'attention seeking'. This is absolutely devastating. Depression is different from the mood fluctuations that people regularly experience as a part of life. Instead, it is when a teenager feels as if their entire life is falling apart, and they do not see the point of living. This is what the majority of teenagers felt during lockdown due to the fact they were stuck at home all day, not having anyone to turn to and rely on for support. As a teenager myself, I felt overwhelmed and lost because being locked in my own home caused my mental health to drown me completely. I felt as if I had no place to turn. We as a society need to ensure that teenagers are getting the help deserve because they matter most. Depression can be easy to miss, especially in teenagers, what can YOU do to save them from this torture? They might often be more negative, less motivated or harsher on themselves. Sometimes, they may even do unhealthy coping mechanisms such as self- harm and dieting. Recently, 31 percent of teenagers have been diagnosed with depression because being distanced from the outside world has made them feel more exasperated and despondent. How are YOU going to make a difference? Depression is so important and people need to be aware of how damaging it really is. It isn't just about feeling downhearted all the time. It's the feeling of being on an emotional rollercoaster, screaming but nobody listening. Nobody doing anything about it. It has affected teenagers too much. Do you really want to see young adolescents suffer? What if you lost a loved one due to mental health? What if something tragic happened in your life that destroyed you completely? What if the depression rates in teenagers increased rapidly within the next few months? It is not fair that they are forgotten about, despite everything they have been through. It needs to change. Now. Before it is too late. Overthinking. Worry. Stress. That's what an anxious mind feels like. Did you know 41% of teenagers reported that they were feeling more anxious than usual during lockdown? Anxiety isn't just panicking when a teacher picks on you, or feeling scared to present in front of the class. It is the constant feeling of uneasiness, and always having so much on your mind, to the point where you begin to doubt yourself no matter how much reassurance you get. Think about your brain and body like a mug, and inside the mug is some coffee, which symbolises your anxiety. When there's just a few drops of leftover coffee in the mug, it's much easier to handle. If you knock it over, you can clean up any mess quickly with a paper towel. But, sometimes, the coffee is full to the brim and piping hot. Any minor bump will cause you to spill it all, burn yourself, and create a big stain on the carpet that will need to be professionally cleaned with more assistance. That's what anxiety can feel like. It also illustrates why some people react differently some days as they might have more coffee in their mug due the amount of stress. During lockdown, many teenagers, including myself felt as if the world was trying to attack them and found it difficult to fight back. We must do something about it. We must pay more attention to those who are struggling with anxiety. Thank you for listening to my speech. I hope I made a difference and helped you understand what people went through behind the closed doors. Just because they seemed as if they were coping, it doesn't mean they were. People hide their emotions all the time so it is crucial that you check up on everyone because we all have something we don't want to share so supporting one another can truly change help them. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.