BY EVELYN DRAKE
Social Services Division Intern
Los Alamos County
Los Alamos is a unique place—not just in general, but especially within New Mexico. Our community is known for being filled with incredibly bright and driven people. While that reputation can push students to achieve great things, it also carries a difficult reality. High expectations, especially around academics, can motivate, but they can also overwhelm. For many teenagers in Los Alamos County, these expectations contribute to declining mental health.
At Los Alamos High School, one of the top public high schools in the state, the pressure is impossible to ignore. Many students take six or seven AP and Honors classes, each one essentially a condensed college course ending in a high-stakes exam. Being a teenager is already emotionally demanding, but adding intense coursework, social pressures, college preparations, job shifts, and extracurriculars on top of that creates a heavy burden. The students who are struggling the most often feel unable to admit it.
Inside the school, there is an unspoken expectation that everyone should be able to handle everything without slowing down or asking for help. This idea does not come from teachers. It grows among the students themselves. The silence around stress and mental health becomes self-imposed, but that does not make it less harmful. Many people say silence can be destructive, and in this case, it is contributing to a quiet crisis among teenagers.
The shame around asking for help is one of the biggest issues. While much of this shame forms internally, small comments from friends, family, or strangers can reinforce the idea that needing help is a sign of weakness. It is not.
The good news is that this culture can change. We can begin by having open, honest conversations with the teenagers in our lives. Ask them about their workload, their college worries, and their stress levels. Offer support without judgment. Show them that asking for help is not only acceptable but healthy. Be the trusted adult in a teenager’s life. Whether you are a coach to a sport, faith, a parent, a family friend, a teacher. Be their trusted adult.
No more shame. No more silence. Just support.
If you or someone you know (especially a teenager) needs mental health support, there are several helpful resources available. Los Alamos JJAB, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting youth, families, and the community, offers a wide range of information under the “Mental Health Resources” tab on their website. Los Alamos High School also provides extensive guidance on mental health hotlines, including the 988 Lifeline for suicide and crisis support. You can also contact Social Services Division https://www.losalamosnm.gov/
Evelyn Drake is a senior at Los Alamos High School, involved in NJROTC, and is a summer intern with Los Alamos County Social Services. She is also a Summer Camp Counselor at the YMCA. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, being around friends, and spending time with family.
The Social Services Division also manages contracts with partnering agencies throughout the region who provide a range of programming and services for individuals, youth, families, and seniors throughout the community. The Social Services Division collaborates with the Los Alamos County Health Council (LACHC) to provide services to improve community health and wellbeing.