My part in removing the stigma of mental illness

The best thing that people can do today and what I am doing as my part is exactly what this class is doing now, and thats speaking openly about the issue, sharing and exchanging information and most importantly educating those who dont know. Like almost everything else, the majority of the problem is the lack of knowlege/education that the general public has about any particular issue and the subject of mental illness is no different. When most people think of mental illness they get the picture of someone is severely mental ill, having to be put into a straight jacket and placed in a padded room because they are speaking to people who dont exist. That is not a fair or accurate depiction of mental illness. Mental illness is an issue that almost every person will deal with in their lives whether it be directly with themselves or with someone on their immediate family. A more accurate depiction of mental illness today would be someone whos is dealing with depression. Anyone would be hard pressed to find someone who has not been depressed at some point in their lives. But the majority of those people probably wouldnt consider depression a mental illness. Most people arent as fortunate as I am to have the knowledge of many health issues but I do my part to inform as many as I can about the truths about mental illness, the most prevalent types of mental illnesses, what signs to look out for, and where someone can go for support or more information for themselves or their loved ones. As it always has been, knowledge is power and with that power we treat others the way we too would like to be treated, this world would be such a better place to live in.