In America, approximately 1 in 5 adults struggle with a mental illness each year. Whether it's lack of knowledge, money, or research, 40% of adults and 50% of kids get the treatment they need. This needs to change.

My name is Lauren Ballew and I will be writing weekly about ways to make these statistics change for the better. I will write about the signs to look for if you or someone you know has a mental illness, so you can get the help you need before it's too late. I will also write about personal accounts of those, including myself, who have struggled with mental health issues. This will give people more understanding of what loved ones go through when struggling. Realistically, my articles will not have a huge impact on this very serious issue, but if just one person reads this and learns something new, then I have done my job. My goal is to educate and help people feel less alone.

I will also enlighten people who struggle with body image issues of the lies and deceitful messages that the media brainwashes us with. As consumers, we are so used to seeing ads with hideous messages telling us what "beauty" is that it can begin to affect our mental health and views of ourselves. Everybody is important and beautiful, and the media does not give us that message. I am here to call them out on their wrongdoings and hateful messages that we all receive.

Through learning the facts, hearing accounts, reading poetry and seeing art that potrays recovery and the cold, hard truth about mental illness, we can make this world a more educated and welcoming place. This is so important for people with mental illness because isolation and loneliness is one of the worst things a person with mental illness can experience- it only fuels the illness. The stigma and the lack of education need to end - it's my goal to make that happen.