Mental illnesses have come a long way from the harsh asylum days in the 20th century. But instead of people trying their hardest to avoid mental illnesses and hide them, most people today, especially teenagers, seem to wear these mental illnesses, as if they're trends.

People will experience anxiety before a test, which is something normal, and chalk it up to an anxiety disorder. People will feel sad for a day or two, and act like they have full blown depression. And other people think it's cool and edgy to be sick, because mental illnesses have been glamorized in media and today's culture.

None of this is okay.

It takes away from the severity of these illnesses. Mental illnesses are not taken as seriously as they should be, and if you add a group of people creating false symptoms and broadcasting it on social media to gain sympathy and attention, then how are people going to believe that mental illnesses are life-threatening?

People need to realize what is normal, and what is not. People need to understand that just because you feel anxious from time to time, for things most people feel anxious about, doesn't mean you have anxiety. The same thing goes for depression, bipolar, or any other mental disorder that relates. If you truly believe there is something wrong, because mental disorder symptoms can vary between people, don't rely on self-diagnosing. Go to a doctor.

Our culture needs to stop glamorizing mental illnesses. Anxiety and depression are romanticized, and it makes no sense. Many people, especially girls, seem to think that having one of these illnesses is cute and quirky, and that a boy will come save them, fix them, whatever. None of it is true. These illnesses negatively affect lives, and shouldn't be treated as jokes or as something edgy and cool.

Maybe when people realize how inconsiderate they are, and how they are affecting the stigma of mental illnesses, this nonsense will come to an end.