In the craziness of life, we often times get caught up in our worries and anxieties. We forget to take a moment to breathe.

We forget to let others know that we are struggling. We refuse to ask for help because we think we have it together. I too have believed that asking for help makes me weak, so I have chosen strength and silence. However, this is such a misconception. Asking for help shows others your strength, not your weakness.

If anyone has seen Demi Lovato in concert or in an interview, she is known for her activist work and emphasis on relieving the stigma on mental illnesses. During her Tampa concert on Saturday her message was clear: if you are struggling, ask for help.

I'll never forget doing two separate diversity activities in two organizations and the responses to a question on suicide were the same. Each time the group was asked whether they knew someone who had suicidal thoughts, every person stepped forward. That is truly a shocking sight to see. It was eye opening to realize that we have all been affected by mental health, either indirectly or directly.

A lot of people choose to suffer in silence and later when the unthinkable happens, the rest of us look on wondering what it is we missed. Sometimes we truly didn't miss anything, it was just something we didn't see because we weren't aware of the signs.

But for those that are struggling, it is important to know that people want to listen and help you. We do not see you as weak or inferior. Instead, we see you as strong people, you were courageous enough to ask for help when you didn't know what else to do or where else to go.

I hope that you know that there are people who love you.

There are people going through what you are going through and they are ready to lend an ear and lend a hand. A lot of times it takes the first person to be brave enough and say something for the rest of the group to trickle in and say "me too."

For those that have experienced the complexities of mental health, either directly or indirectly, I challenge you to talk about it openly. If we start talking openly about it, we can hopefully encourage others to share their stories and ask for help when they need it.