'Mental health' has always been one of those topics that we're aware of but prefer to not always acknowledge; it's taboo. Although, it really isn't if you think about it. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. (9.8 million) experience a mental illness in a year. This number, unsurprisingly, increases for teens between ages 13 and 18. Depression and anxiety are the most common because of the many cases that there are nowadays, especially among high school and college students which is, to no one's surprise, stress related. The criticism and negative connotations associated with mental illnesses are one of the main reasons teens and even adults don't open up about their feelings and resort to other temporary solutions. This is precisely why World Mental Health Day plays such an important role in raising awareness for this not so talked-about topic.

The thing about a mental illness is that it discriminates no one; although there are identifiable patterns, each case is unique and extremely personal. There are several cases of mental illnesses and some may be completely unexpected because of the person's socioeconomic background. Society just seems to expect anyone who suffers from a mental illness to be some emo teen, and this couldn't be farther from the truth.

Growing up in a Latino family, I was taught to be tough and even more so seeing as my parents had risen out of their humble towns in Peru through their academic achievements and efforts. Having been through all of this, neither of them had time to even think about being depressed, anxious, and much less, suicidal. On the other hand, I never had to go through any of the hardships they did and this places me in the position of a 'privileged' kid which, in their minds, left me with little to nothing to complain about. This is obviously not the case. Even celebrities, people who are role models and are idolized by their fans, have opened up about their troubles of dealing with illnesses from body image issues to addictions.

Something that society tends to question a lot about those who suffer from these mental illnesses is their reason behind it. Were you bullied? Do you not have many friends? Are there issues at home? Are you having trouble with school? Are your physical needs not being met? Honestly, it's not helping. There isn't always one main reason that points out why you feel this way. If anything, this just makes the person feel even worse about themselves and spiral deeper into questioning their own value and legitimacy. In some cases, there's just no clear or tangible reason that needs to be dissected by a professional.

I'm not trying to justify in any way those who claim to have a mental illness but in reality just want attention, because sadly that does happen sometimes. I'm just trying to point out that searching for fact-based reasons isn't always the way to approach these kinds of issues. As I mentioned before, I was raised to be tough and with no room for 'petty' issues such as these. I realize that my mom was just trying to understand so that she could help me overcome my depression, but all it led to was endless nights of overthinking and reaching the same conclusion: I'm an ungrateful child and they don't deserve this.

However, as the name states, they're illnesses, and while not all illnesses can be cured, they can definitely be treated. There are several advocates for treatment that range from everyday normal people to celebrities and iconic figures in modern culture. Sharing their stories, as did Demi Lovato, Lady Gaga, Emma Stone, Pete Wentz, and J.K. Rowling, helped raise awareness of this 'millennial epidemic' and is something so admirable to be able to have someone relate to you on such a personal level.

If anything can be taken from this, I'm hoping it's the confidence to trust others to help you cope with whatever is troubling you. Psychologists, also known as 'shrinks,' are mostly frowned upon by patients because of how pop culture depicts them. Whatever your stance may be on seeking professional help, if it didn't work I don't think it would still be around. Besides seeking out help, this is a 'taboo' topic that should be discussed more often because of how relatable it is to everyone's lives whether you or someone you know deals with a mental illness.

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If you or anyone you know suffers from depression you can call the national suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255.