We need to talk. Our world is in shambles. There is pain, tragedy, war and violence all over, and it seems as if it’s beginning to take over our lives. Every day there is a new headline about a mass shooting, war break-outs, murders, and politics that quite frankly don’t make any sense. How have we gotten to this point? What happened to “We Are The World” or “Imagine”? We had songs of hope and now we just have pain.

One of the biggest contributors to this evil that has taken over our world is mental illness and our failure to acknowledge and treat it. We are quite literally killing ourselves by not talking about mental health. The United States alone has seen a significant rise in mental illness in recent years while access to treatment is dwindling. Why are we so uncomfortable talking about our feelings? Why does it keep getting swept under the rug?

Last week, October 10th marked World Mental Health Day. One in five Americans will be affected by a mental health condition in their lifetime. And, those mental health conditions, such as mood disorders, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder, are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the US for those ages 18 to 44.

Every 42 seconds, someone attempts suicide, and every 18 minutes, someone dies by suicide. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., the 3rd leading cause of death for people aged 10–14 and the 2nd leading cause of death for people aged 15–24. Worldwide, suicide is among the three leading causes of death among people aged 15 to 44. Only 41% of adults in the U.S. with a mental health condition received mental health services in the past year. Among adults with a serious mental illness, 62.9% received mental health services in the past year. Over 37% of students with a mental health condition age 14­–21 and older who are served by special education dropout—the highest dropout rate of any disability group. Each day, about 18-22 veterans die by suicide.

These statistics are too high.

Even if just one person committed suicide each year, that is still one too many people. To think that someone, somewhere took their own life because they felt they were alone, is heartbreaking. It only takes one person to know the signs of mental illness and step in to help. Struggling with the way your mind works and makes you think can seem like a never-ending battle that can cause you to lose motivation and confidence. The least we can do is try to take care of our minds and one another. Mental health is no less important than physical health, so why do we treat as if it is?

We need to begin talking about mental health within our schools just like we talk about drugs and alcohol sex ed. By introducing mental health to our kids, we send them the message that it is okay to be sad, anxious, or whatever else they are feeling. People need to be informed of and educated on mental health issues, so they can identify any symptoms they see in themselves or others. Talking about mental health and illness will not only make those who feel alone realize they have a whole community backing them, it will also make it okay to not be okay.

As a society, we need to take action and help cultivate a culture of honesty and acceptance around mental health. The more honest and unfiltered conversations we have relating to how we are feeling, the more we normalize the harsh reality of mental health struggles and the more support we create. Feelings of shame and loneliness act as barriers between people and professional help. Together as a community, it is our job to prevent that barrier from forming.

How can we start making a difference in changing the stigma around mental health? Ask your friends and family what you can do to help support them in their journey, don’t be afraid to speak up if you are worried about someone, be empathetic if someone trusts you enough to confide in you — you never know what kind of difference you can make to someone. I challenge you to have these conversations with your peers and join me in creating the supportive and accepting community we need and deserve.