"An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older or about one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year."

Chances are, there is someone you identify with every single day who suffers from a mental illness. Chances are, you don't recognize that their brain functions any differently than yours. Chances are, if you did know, you'd think of them differently.

Why is that? Why is one so quick to judge someone who has a sort of medical disorder that is completely out of his or her hands? If someone was in physical therapy for a physical problem or in treatment for a physical illness, no judgment of that person's character would be made. If the health problem is related to the brain and how it affects one's actions, they are immediately negatively labeled as nuts, psycho, or crazy.

I spent eight months in intensive treatment for three mental illnesses. The fact that I have felt in the past that I must keep this health disorder a secret is sad. There's a good chance that one in four people feel a similar burden due to their health situation. The more we suppress and shame this issue of mental illness, the less people will get appropriate treatment for it.

Putting myself in treatment was a difficult decision that was made even more difficult by my worry of what others and society would think of me. The people who are affected by a mental illness and keep the disorder under wraps are not judged, while the people who are attempting to get better in therapy are scrutinized and labeled insane. Because of this, taking a step towards getting better seems worse than being miserable quietly. Instead of being one to judge, be one to support. Your positive, nonjudgmental view point on this situation could turn the perspective of mental illness into what it should be. Treatment should not be seen as a hassle, but it should be seen as necessary and positive. As an individual, allow mental health to have value in your life and the life of others, so that those who need help will not be afraid to get it.

It is not your place to stand in the way of one's journey to get better. This statement applies for any illness, physical and mental. Don't judge someone who is ill in any way. The only life story you are completely aware of is your own, so do not make any assumptions about others. Taking judgment out of this equation will make mental health a bigger priority and treatment more accessible.

The only thing scarier than my mental illnesses were the people that would judge me for going to therapy. Eight long months of degrading opinions, judgmental comments, and a hell of a lot of hard work in therapy resulted in unexplainable clarity and happiness for me. Despite the mental illness stigma, I got better, and any other person who is suffering should, too.

If you have a mental illness, get help. Get treatment. It is called illness for a reason.