Thanks to trending topics on Twitter like #BellLetsTalk and celebs like Demi Lovato sharing their stories, mental health awareness is starting to gain the attention it deserves.
YouTuber Jack Harries added to the conversation with a new video admitting that he has suffered from depression in the past and encouraging others to be vocal about other mental illnesses such as anxiety, bipolar disorder and eating disorders.
Jack goes on to explain that those who suffer from such illnesses, including his friends, don’t reach out because of the shame associated with mental health disorders.
“From what I’ve seen, more often than not, People dealing with a mental illness find it harder to deal with the stigma than they do the mental illness itself,” he said. “And that is crazy because the stigma is created by us.”
The YouTube star is hosting a forum on mental health on his site and wants to hold an event later this year to raise awareness. He also reassures his viewers that mental disorders should never define them.
“Mental health disabilities are an illness, not a weakness. They are an issue, not an identity.”
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
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