Depression is something that affects more than 14 million Americans every year, yet it’s rarely ever publicly talked about in a manner that’s not associated with tragedy. We always wait until it’s too late to talk about depression. We use it as an excuse for suicide or homicide happening every day in our country. We use it to label the “troubled” kids in school. Yet we never teach anyone what it truly means or how to deal with it.

Recently the actress Kristen Bell, best known for her roles in Veronica Mars and Disney’s Frozen, wrote an article for Motto titled “I’m Over Staying Silent About Depression.” In her article she talks about her own experience with the issue in college and what the true definition of depression is, that it’s more than just one bad day. My favorite thing she said is that “there’s nothing weak about struggling with mental illness.”

It’s so powerful to see someone as beautiful and successful as Kristen admit that even she had to fight this battle at one point in her life and to tell people that there’s no shame in asking for help. The impact her article has made on the individuals who read it is probably immeasurable and that’s so much better to hear than to hear nothing at all.

Kristen has been added to a growing list of celebrities such as Jared Padalecki, Jim Carrey, and Demi Lovato, who are beginning to start a conversation about mental health and I can only hope that more and more people are beginning to listen. As much as some of us don’t want to admit it we look up to celebrities and follow their lead on everything from fashion to food to weddings. If we could start following that lead on mental health we could probably do so much more good for the world and for ourselves.

We don’t need to wait until it’s too late to have this conversation with the people we love. A good example of the change we can make comes from Brittni Darras, a teacher at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs who wrote a personalized letter to all the teens in her classes after learning one of them had tried to commit suicide. When she was asked about the reason for the letters she was quoted as saying "I think the message that I'm trying to get across is you never know who's hurting. Just a few simple words of encouragement can not only change somebody's life; as a matter of fact, it can save somebody's life."

So thank you Kristen Bell, for helping start this conversation for so many people and thank you Brittni Darras for taking action when you had the chance. Getting people to admit they may need help is only half the battle, but it’s such a great start.

Now we need to turn our attention on to starting the conversation about the cost of mental-health care. According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration less than half of the nearly 50 million people that are struggling with mental health issues are able to afford treatment. Those who can’t afford it are left struggling to cope on their own thinking there’s no way out.

It’s our job as individuals to stand up and shine a light for the lost ones who need guidance. We have to work on making the future of this country better for all it’s generations, not just a select few.

Are you or someone you know ready to seek help for your depression or other mental health issues? Click here for more information.