Have you ever lost a loved one to suicide? Have you ever had to hear the heartbreaking news that someone you love took their life? Picture this, you wake up on a day just like any other and complete your daily routine. You eat breakfast, go to work, chat with coworkers. Everything’s going fine, and then you get a phone call. Someone you care about has just committed suicide. You feel your world cracking bit by bit until your heart shatters with the horror and disbelief of the devastating truth. You ask yourself how could this happen, you never saw it coming. That's the issue, you didn’t see the signs…

Not many people are aware of mental illnesses, and a lot of the ones who are aware frown upon it. A majority of people going through depression or anxiety feel ashamed about it because of the bad reputation that society gives it. When people feel ashamed of something, like an untreated mental illness,  they often try to repress it which frequently leads to self harm or suicide.

According to Mental Illness Policy Org., only about half of people in developed countries struggling with a mental illness get the help that they need. That’s a terrible percentage. We should try to make it reach everyone, because everyone deserves to get the help that they need. Whether it’s therapy or medication everyone should have the opportunity to live a happier life. When people are educated about mental illnesses, their effects, and how often they occur, it lessens the bad reputation they have.

Society needs to become more aware of mental illnesses. World Health Organization states that, “Every 30 seconds, the loss of a person who killed themselves shatters the lives of family and friends. For every person who completes a suicide, 20 or more may attempt suicide.” Also, according to NCCP “Mental health problems may lead to poor school performance, school dropout, strained family relationships, involvement with the child welfare or juvenile justice systems, substance abuse, and engaging in risky sexual behaviors.” By increasing awareness a family might not lose a member to suicide, a teenager might not drop out, someone might not have unprotected sex and get pregnant, etc. Some people may say that mental health isn’t real or important, but millions of people have killed themselves because they didn’t get the help that they needed.

To try to resolve the issue of unawareness schools should teach more about mental health. Society, rather than isolate mental illnesses, should embrace them, and they should understand that it’s not a joke. People should know more about mental health and be able to see the signs for it. Then, maybe we’ll prevent millions of people in future generations from making the same mistake.