Imagine you are in the middle of an important test, or maybe in the middle of your most important game of the season. You want to push forward and move past of what is holding you back, but you can’t. There is no escape. What are you supposed to tell your teacher or coach? They’ll take it as just another excuse. It is time that we all shed a light on what mental illness really is and how it is just as important as a physical illness.

About 4 million children and teens suffer from a serious mental illness in America. And among those 4 million people, their suffering is left in the dark. Maybe it is because nobody feels comfortable talking about it, or maybe people just forget about it.

Let’s start with anxiety disorder, the most common illness in teens. Though highly treatable, having this disorder is very difficult to handle. It needs to be set straight that there is a difference between being anxious or having an anxiety disorder. When you are anxious you might be nervous or a bit freaked out for a big test. but when you have an anxiety disorder you are born with it or you develop it over time. In serious cases, you may suffer from anxiety attacks. There are different ways but in some cases you may experience hyperventilating or even vomiting. So, the next time you need to step out of the classroom because you get too anxious, explain to your teacher it’s not just an excuse.

The next most common disorder is depression. 11 percent of teens suffer from depression. While having depression you may experience difficulty sleeping, eating, and having hope. There is also a high rate of suicide and self harm in teens who suffer from depression. There is plenty attention about suicide but do we get down to the root of what caused suicide? No we do not. Depression can not be cured, though it can be treated with different types of medication and therapy. A type of depression is manic – depressive disorder, also known as bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is cycling mood changes from an all time high to an all time low. Bipolar is a very difficult disorder to live with, but with time you will be able to handle it much better.

If you suffer from any mental illness, just remember you are not alone and better days are headed your way. Take care of yourself, and do something good for yourself. Be open with people who will be an anchor to you, but also you also need to be your own anchor. Remember to never be ashamed of having a mental illness. Would you be ashamed if you had diabetes? Probably not. So, why be ashamed of something you can’t control? It is a common human experience, yet the reality is you will constantly worry about someone seeing it as a weakness instead of an actual problem.

“Both mental and physical illnesses are equally important and they go hand in hand.If you don’t take care of yourself physically, it affects you mentally and vice versa.” School psychologist Lisa Donn says. The issue about mental illness is you can’t see the disability. It is time to destigmatize mental illness.