'JSerra Confessions' Page Reveals Darker Side of Teen Life

Some are haunting, plaintive cries for help. Some are silly or commonplace teenage gripes. Others are simple exercises in rebellion, profanity and sexual bragging. They are the "confessions" of students at JSerra Catholic High School, posted on a student-run Facebook page that school administrators are trying to shut down.

-- I got diagnosed with anorexia a year and a half ago...I look around at everyone and wonder who else is going through the same hell as me.

-- JSerra prioritizes athletes WAAAAY too much. I don't think it's fair that they get all this special treatment.

-- Just saw a worm hula-hooping with a Fruit Loop.

-- I feel like all my friends are leaving me. Wouldn't it just be better if I moved to a different school? Maybe I'd be good enough for people somewhere else.

The comments suggest parochial school teens are no more immune to angst than their public school counterparts, despite JSerra's declaration that its students "see Jesus Christ as the model upon which their thoughts, attitudes and behaviors should be based."

JSerra officials are working to take down the confessions page because of objectionable content. One student said the posting volume dropped significantly after administrators asked students to refrain from using the page.

"They told us about it and to stop going on it," student Michael Zabran said. "No one really knows [who started it]. It died down a lot."

Titled JSerra Confessions, the page is laced with profanity, sexual fantasies, drug references and jokes about teachers. To preserve anonymity, the moderator takes private messages and posts them with the names removed. 

Some students use the page to pine for attractive peers, such as "the new girl from Jersey." Others make jokes: "I tried sniffing coke, but the ice cubes got in the way."  

More disturbing, perhaps, are the posts in which students refer to bullying, suicidal thoughts, self-cutting and depression. 

"i am always smiling and always happy, but i feel like im crying on the inside. your all so mean to me, but i have to act fake and happy so that people will like me, but people just keep making fun of me," reads one post. 

Another says: "when i hear people making jokes about anorexia and self harm i try and laugh along so people wont guess that im one of those girls, but every time i hear someone mention it, i want to cut a little deeper." 

And whereas some posts are flip about drugs and alcohol, others seem to reflect serious addiction problems: "I take a bottle of vodka to school everyday..... its empty at the end of the day." 

Cara Morales, a counselor at JSerra, said she regularly sees students grappling with depression and anxiety. JSerra mirrors most high schools around the nation, which are seeing a surge of self-harm, among other emotional problems, Morales said. 

Whether Facebook and other social media exacerbate such issues is a complicated matter, she said. 

"I think social media in general is very tricky," Morales said. "It does provide a sense of community for people of all ages. But it can also be devastating. It provides a false sense of intimacy, and teens say bold things that they shouldn't be having a public conversation about." 

Because the human brain isn't fully developed until age 25, teens may lack the perspective to handle the power offered by tools like Facebook, she added. How can parents and teachers detect the difference between common teen venting and deeper cries for help? 

"Typical red flags would be like if they're withdrawing from social relationships that were important to them," Morales said. "Withdrawing from parents is typical, but [not from] close friends, sports teams [and] activities that had given them pleasure." 

Other warning signs include a change in grades ("a huge indicator something is going on"), risk-taking behavior, obsessively dark writings in class journals and disturbing art projects, Morales said.

Emotional problems can also manifest as physical ailments, such as stomachaches, dizziness and headaches, she said. 

Fortunately, mental health issues don't carry the stigma they once did, Morales noted.

"I think we live in a culture where a ton of [helpful] information is very accessible," Morales said. "Even on the JSerra webpage, we have resources. High schools all over the country are beefing up counseling." 

For students and parents seeking help, Morales recommends turning to a school counselor. 

Meanwhile, JSerra officials have asked Facebook to take down the anonymous "confessions" page. 

"We have reported the page... and we are taking the necessary steps to have it removed," said JSerra spokeswoman Amanda Samaan. "We do have a full-time personal counselor available to the students. We are addressing some of the issues mentioned on that page."