During college, many things are thrown at us. Sometimes, students can become very overwhelmed by all the school work and the social activities going on, and it can be a challenge to balance all of these things at some points during the semester. It can also be a challenge in aiming to have a positive mindset about everything we go through as well. Due to feelings of stress and overwhelmingness, college students can have a difficult time finding a positive perspective on situations.

Spring semester of my freshman year, I - just like many other students - was very overwhelmed with classes and school work, and also felt just a lot of pressure on making my college years the best. At the time, I did not realize that I struggled with anxiety issues, but over the summer, I went to seek help and I was mildly diagnosed with both anxiety and depression.

Over the past year, it is still something that I battle with on a daily basis, but thankfully, my friends and family have been super supportive in all that has been going on through life. I also have come to find that some of my close friends even go through the same things I do.

However, not as many people receive the same support and positivity that I do.

When it comes to the topic of mental health, there is a much negative stigma attached to mental illnesses.

Society presents mental illnesses as "something is seriously wrong with you" but mental illnesses are not very rare. In fact, one in every four young adults between 18-24 years-old has a diagnosable mental illness. When I found that number out, it completely shocked me.

Society does not like to get on the topic of mental illnesses, but it needs to be discussed more. Social media does have a positive atmosphere of mental health because people can find support and encouragement on topics of mental health.

However, there are a few negative aspects when it comes to social media such that it can worsen anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. Studies have shown that more time on social media can result in anxiety and depression concerns, and can also lead to eating disorders.

Almost every college student uses some type of social media, but as human beings, we have a natural desire to compare our lives to everyone else's. We compare our bodies, successes, social statuses, and many more things on social media.

During all the comparison struggles that are faced with social media, eating disorders can start to arise, especially for women. Society likes to tell us, "how we should look" rather than saying, "you are beautiful the way you look".

All of these mental illnesses can be severe for individuals and can lead to suicidal thoughts.

Among college campuses, suicide has been found to be the 2nd leading cause of death.

In fact, one out of every four students reports having depressed thoughts and suicidal feelings. However, there are still students that do not report about these feelings and ask for help.

The reasoning behind this is that students feel that they are alone in the situation that they are in. However, the reality is that several students on campuses are going through the same thing. Thankfully, most college campuses provide health centers or free counseling services for those in need of help. Unfortunately, mental health still needs to be addressed even more.

As college students, it's very important to recognize that people walking around our campus may be carrying much more baggage than just their backpacks.

Our classmates, friends, and strangers we pass by may be going through serious mental health issues that we don't even know about and much more.

It's always important to encourage one another and be supportive no matter the situation or the person and also be informed about mental health issues on campus.

If you are battling with a mental illness, please know that you are not alone in your situation. If you have a family member or friend that has a mental illness, continue to show them support and love.

It's time to shine a light on mental health issues.