As we all know, mental health is a huge factor in the world we live in today. We see it in newspapers, magazines, social media, television. It is something that is talked about more immensely now that people are starting to recognize and be aware of what occurs during this type of process.

Every mental illness is different for every single person. No two people will react in the same way and that is why it makes it very hard to understand these different illnesses or to accept them. That is why there is an entire month that is devoted to being aware of these different illnesses and can really help you dive into the problems at hand.

That is 20% of our population.

If there are 7.5 Billion people in the world, 20% is 1,500,000,000 people. That is so many people and some of them never receive the care they need or the support. This is what results in suicides and other tragic death scenarios that impact our culture.

So be aware. Know the symptoms.

• Excessive worrying or fear
• Feeling excessively sad or low
• Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
• Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
• Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
• Avoiding friends and social activities
• Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
• Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
• Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
• Changes in sex drive
• Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don't exist in objective reality)
• And much, much more.

If you see any of these symptoms in somebody it is always better to ask for help. It is always better to care about another human being's life in order to potentially save it.

This month, it is important for everybody to understand that mental illnesses can change, they can get better. You have to be aware of the feelings of the people around you. That is the hardest part about understanding mental illnesses, how it affects different people.

Start understanding. Start listening. Start talking. Start being.

Once you can do that, it is possible to either help someone with their mental illness or you can help yourself. How amazing of a feeling would it be to accomplish something like that? That is why mental illness stigmas need to be abolished and can be with the words of encouragements and understanding what mental illnesses are composed of.

So listen, learn, and fight. For yourself, for your family, and for your friends. It is worth it.