On July 20, the world lost Chester Bennington; a singer, an artist, a musician, one of the voices of the 2000's and an all around amazing person.

His death has sparked conversation about mental health in many people, resulting in them posting the numbers to suicide hotlines and/or recalling their favorite memories about Linkin Park, but the main idea I want to talk about is that we need to end the stigma of mental illness. Part of the reason people don't often reach out for help is that they feel like they can't; many are worried about being labeled as "crazy" or "mentally ill", and the fear that such labels can affect their lives in a negative way.

Mental illness is not a fun thing to have, I can tell you that. I have both anxiety and a depressive disorder, and it has nearly ruined many important relationships in my life - with my family, with my friends, with my boyfriend. Sometimes I would just try to pretend like everything was okay when in reality it wasn't. I have panicked over small situations and took it out on people that didn't even deserve it. One main thing I didn't do often, however, was asking for help.

One of the reasons I didn't ask for help is because I didn't want people thinking I was weak. Now, I will be asking for help, because I now realize that I have been my own biggest critic - I thought I wasn't worthy of being helped, I thought I was a lost cause because it would never go away. Now, I am going to get help with my mental illness.

Sometimes this happens in society - people often frown upon any kind of mental illness; some people think that they are just doing it for attention, or sometimes they say that there are people that "have it way worse than you". It's always important to distance yourself from those people and surround yourself with those who will stand by you and be willing to help regardless of what is going on with you! I sometimes find it funny that people who criticize someone for feeling suicidal suddenly become very caring if that person is successful.

People who are suicidal are not cowards, they are people who need help; they have demons inside of them that they can't always control on their own. On the same note, while posting the suicide hotline is helpful, what is also helpful is letting them vent, letting them talk, and letting them cry on your shoulder.

Of course, there are people who don't reach out for help, not because they don't want to, but they are afraid of the negative stigma that is associated with a mental illness. There is no shame in asking for help. We need everyone to know that we are not a burden, that we are worth helping.

Sometimes it can be hard to reach out, but just know that you have so much to offer in this world. Every time I feel down I think of my favorite quote from Harry Potter and that is what I will leave you with:

"Happiness can be found in even the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the light."