Savannah walks home from school with her head hung low. Her day couldn't have been worse. She feels indifferent toward the things that used to make her happy. Even her family and friends can't cheer her up. She's falling extremely behind in schoolwork because she has no motivation to do things. She's even dropped out of her favorite sport, field hockey. Instead of doing something fun after school, like reading her favorite books or spending time with family and friends, Savannah just sleeps. She doesn't know why she's acting this way. She wishes she could be as happy and energetic as Angelina is.

Angelina walks home from school. As she walks up her driveway, she remembers that her neighbor's birthday is today. She walks past her house, and up her neighbor's driveway, but soon realizes that there's a tennis match going on at her neighborhood's country club. She backs out of the driveway and starts heading toward the country club when she thinks about her dogs and that she hasn't seen them all day. Why am I like this? she thinks to herself. She runs back home and kneels on the ground, crying while her dogs sit next to her comforting her. Angelina wishes she could be like Steve who always seems so focused.

Steve walks home from school shaking. He heard a police car speeding by and it gave him flashbacks from when an intruder broke into his house when he was five. He always seems so lazer-beam focused in school because he desperately tries to keep his mind off the event that has haunted him for so long. He wishes he could be like Sarah, the popular girl. Life always seems so easy for her.

Sarah walks home from school, her stomach growling. Just five more hours, Sarah and then you can eat an applesauce for dinner. You don't want to get fat do you? She walks through the door and right to the mirror, lifting up her shirt to reveal her stomach. It looks bigger today, she sighs. I guess I won't be able to have that applesauce after all. Sarah wishes she could be like Amy. Amy eats all the time, yet she's super skinny. 

Amy walks home from school, embarrassed. There was a donut sale in school. The first donut tasted so good that she bought another, and another, and another. Before she knew it, she had eaten a dozen donuts. I'm going to become fat. I can't believe I did that. I have to make myself throw up when I get home, she thinks to herself. Amy wishes she could be like Spencer. Spencer's never had an ED.

Spencer walks home from school. Sure she's never had an eating disorder, but she does deal with a mental disorder of her own. After being down and upset for two weeks, she is on top of the world. She dances down the sidewalk yelling "hi" and waving to her suspicious neighbors. She skips up into her room. She sits down on her bed, thinking how she has to enjoy this happiness while she can, before she goes into her other state again. Spencer wishes she could be like Tanya, who never seems to have mood swings.   

Tanya walks home from school looking neutral on the outside, but is panicking. Tanya is always in the same mood. She's too scared to act any other way because she thinks people will hate her. She usually sits alone, overthinking things, feeling as though she did something wrong. Tanya wishes she could be like Finn, who stays home from school frequently. At home she can feel safe from judgment.

Finn walks home from school, embarrassed. Today was his first day at school this week. Being schizophrenic, he doesn't go to school much because his hallucinations bother him too much. He wishes he could be normal, like his best friend, Luke. 

Luke walks home from school, squirting hand sanitizer into his hands. He touched the shirt of the person who got a bad grade on the test. I can't risk getting a bad grade on the test, I have to get rid of this contamination. I'll just make sure to shower really good tonight. Deep down, Luke knows that touching someone else's shirt won't interfere with him getting a good grade on the test, but his OCD overrides things and makes someone believe they have to do things in order to feel okay, even if they're totally irrational. Luke wishes he could be like Savannah, who never has to put hand sanitizer on her hands when she feels uncomfortable.

Savannah, Angelina, Steve, Sarah, Amy, Spencer,Tanya, Finn, and Luke all get home, go to their room, and plop on their bed. They all feel alone, desperately wishing that they had someone to go through their mental health battle with. Little do they know, there are others laying on their beds right now, feeling the exact same way too.     

Websites:

who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders

mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955