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<\/p>\nCHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 This article involves commercial content.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The products and services featured appear as paid advertising.<\/p>\n
As Mental Health Awareness Month shines a spotlight on emotional well-being, the Emerald School of Excellence is working to equip teenagers with tools to navigate growing pressures, including the impact of social media.<\/p>\n
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Principal and founder Mary Ferreri says teens today face constant comparison and validation cycles online, which can intensify anxiety and depression. \u201cSocial media can amplify feelings of isolation if students measure their worth by what they see on a screen,\u201d Ferreri said. \u201cIt\u2019s critical we teach them how to set boundaries and build confidence beyond likes and follows.\u201d<\/p>\n
The school, which focuses on students in recovery and those needing additional support, emphasizes both positive and negative coping strategies. Ferreri says recognizing the difference is key. \u201cPositive coping might include exercise, journaling or talking to someone you trust, while negative habits like withdrawal or substance use can deepen struggles,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ferreri encourages teens and families to seek help early and often. \u201cThere are resources available, but students have to feel safe asking for help,\u201d she said. \u201cBreaking stigma starts with open conversations at home and in school.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through individualized instruction and mental health support, Emerald School of Excellence aims to provide a structured, compassionate environment. \u201cWe meet students where they are,\u201d Ferreri said. \u201cOur goal is to help them heal, grow and succeed academically and emotionally.\u201d<\/p>\n
As awareness grows this month, Ferreri hopes more families will recognize the signs and take action. \u201cNo student should feel alone,\u201d she said. \u201cSupport is out there, and it can make all the difference.\u201d For more information visit Emerald School of Excellence – Accredited Recovery High School<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 This article involves commercial content.\u00a0 The products and services featured appear as paid advertising. As…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":668518,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[97,259,260],"class_list":["post-668517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-health","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=668517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668517\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/668518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=668517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=668517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=668517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}