Mental health is something that impacts us all, no matter the age. As a child, we don’t fully grasp what is happening in our mind and body. But as we get older it’s more evident if we are struggling or not. Sometimes it’s hard for people to speak up about their mental health and that can become a big issue. 

Nearly about 1 in 5 American adults have a diagnosable mental health condition. Overall, this totals to nearly 59.3 million americans. These illnesses can range from anxiety, depression, addiction/substance abuse, bipolar disorder, suicidal thoughts, etc. 

As a society, social media and big influencers have a huge impact on how people perceive their mental health and others. Unfortunately, it’s not always the best advice that they follow as many people end up suppressing their emotions or dealing with problems in bad ways. 

Mental health needs to be taken more seriously. About 13.2 million US adults have had suicidal thoughts and 1.6 million of those have attempted. This also affects the youth as 3.4 million have had thoughts with 953,000 of those attempting. 

If people had better access to health care and resources, we could help people understand themselves better and show them that there are people willing to listen and help them. By only caring after someone has committed, it will only make us feel guilty for not seeing signs sooner. But by being educated and understanding that struggles can come in many different forms, we can help people live a more comfortable and healthier life despite their illnesses.