For a long time now, I personally have had no idea why there is so much negativity and stigma surrounding the topic of mental health. Everyone deals with their mental health on a day to day basis, yet for many people, it is still something that is hard to deal with. There are still many people that feel as though they can't reach out and get help in fear that they will be ridiculed. There are people who have stopped reaching out all together due to being ridiculed in the past. Mental health should be talked about, it should not be some taboo topic. The stigma against mental health needs to end, and it needs to end now.

In my experience, I personally know what it feels like to feel like they can't reach out to someone. I will admit that I have a very small number of people that I talk to, but that is only because I have gained their trust. I know that personally, I can open up to someone like my mom or my sisters and a few other people. However, I've always kept that circle small because I am personally afraid that if I open up to someone outside that circle, they'll ridicule whatever I'm going through. I also know many other people who have admitted that they can't open up to anyone, not even their family or friends, because they have downplayed their mental health in the past, or are told that they shouldn't talk about it. One of the biggest things that can hurt someone is not having a support system to go to.

I just don't understand what is wrong with getting mental help. We need to start treating mental health as seriously as physical health. Would you ever tell someone who had a broken bone to just suck it up and get through the pain? Would you ever tell someone with a heart disease to just stop worrying about it? Or would you tell someone who had cancer that they should try looking on the bright side? Just about everyone would say no to these, so why is it suddenly okay to say these things to someone who is dealing with a mental illness? Telling someone with a mental illness to just suck it up or to just calm down or to get over it is not only wrong, it's insulting and hurtful to people who are dealing with it.

People who deal with mental health problems are not lazy. They can't just "try to stay positive" or to "get over it and move on in life". No one who deals with stuff like this is weak for trying to get help or for going to a therapist. The person who is dealing with mental illness is not their illness, they are just a person who's dealing with an illness. No one should be shamed for having a mental illness, and no one who has a mental illness should be ashamed of themselves either. There should also be no shame in admitting that you need help and getting it.

Instead of judging someone for their mental health, we need to start speaking out about it and being more supportive. Being silent about the issue will do nothing in the end. Speak up about mental health with people around you and encourage people to understand that talking about these issues should not be seen as a bad thing. Start making you door more open to helping others who may need help, and tell people around them that you're here for them. Reach out to people around them and check up on them, even if they seem happy or if their life seems perfect. Start speaking out against the stigma and start empowering people to be open and compassionate about mental health.

Never be afraid to get help if you need it, and never be afraid to speak out about how you feel. Your mental health does matter, and you matter too.