Roughly one week ago, a friend of mine wrote a blog post about mental health. Specifically, her own mental health and struggle with anxiety. When I saw the link posted to Facebook, I immediately clicked on it and began reading. Precise, honest, real. Those were the words that flooded my brain when I was finished, and instantly, an idea for my next article popped into my mind.

Here is a girl who is widely admired – a beautiful, smart, talented girl that I myself have stalked on various social media platforms, hoping to embody the confidence and self-image that she portrays. And yet, this very girl struggles with demons of her own. Whether her social media looks like it or her facial expressions illustrate it when she is walking to class, she is fighting an inner battle every day.

It is for this reason exactly that I found myself inspired by and incredibly impressed with her ability to write such a piece. There must have been fear of how the public would respond, stress regarding various judgments that could be made, anxiety surrounding if others opinions about her would change, but even with all that unknown, she did it, and following her example is the only way we can conquer this stigma of mental health disorders.

For a long time, many were skeptical about the concept of mental health disorders and whether they existed and should be considered as a health disorder. Unfortunately, some still are. However, over the years, mental health professionals have been educating and informing the public of mental health in hopes that they can shoot down the stigma associated with words like “depression” and “anxiety." Still, even with all the work being made to try to make these conditions more accepted by the public, there are still individuals who suffer from these conditions that don’t feel they can discuss them, and it’s all due to one thing: fear.

In today’s world, the thoughts and opinions of others are far too easy to spot even if you don’t have a personal interaction with them. Through platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, individuals can say exactly what they are thinking and feeling about certain controversial topics without even being asked- and that is leading to more secrecy than ever.

When a person who experiences depression sees or hears someone say, “Well, depression is so common now a days it seems like everyone has it," they obviously don’t want to discuss the struggles they have had with it. And when someone who has anxiety sees a tweet that reads, “Anxiety means being anxious? Well, don’t we all have it then?!," they feel belittled, like their struggles would be mocked if they were discussed. Here-in lies the problem, and there’s a simple solution.

Mental health disorders should be talked about by everyone. By parents, by teachers, and by the individual that struggles with mental health who may seem to have it all together and proves that even the most “perfect” people don’t live a perfect life.

It’s time to put an end to the stigma, because although we have made huge strides forward, there is more work to be done.

Nobody should feel like they should keep these things secret, especially from family or close friends, and unfortunately, we have created a world in which some feel their lives need to be fabricated to obtain acceptance.

Much of the misunderstandings that surround mental health disorders are rooted in the fact that people don’t truly understand them. Put simply, they are actual medical conditions. Similar to how some people take Advil when they have a headache, those who struggle with a mental health disorder are sometimes prescribed medication to aid in their healing process. You wouldn’t judge the person taking Advil, and why would you? They are merely taking medication to make themselves feel better, and that is nothing to be ashamed of.

To everyone out there who is fighting a battle with a mental health disorder, know that you can do this. Do not be ashamed, do not be afraid to share your experiences, and do not feel that you are the only one feeling this way. I may speak for myself here, but I am proud of you, and the rest of the world should be too.

And lastly, to the girl who posted about her anxiety- you know who you are- thank you. Thank you for bringing awareness to the importance of mental health. Thank you for pointing out to the public that no matter how happy or “perfect” a person looks on social media, they may still be fighting a battle of their own. Thank you for being open and honest about yourself, and hopefully giving other people the courage to do the same.

For those that are interested in reading about this woman’s struggle –and I encourage you to do so– here is the link to her blog!