Having a mental illness is not a choice, a weakness, or a character flaw. It's not something that just “passes” or can be “snapped out of” with will power. It does not mean that a person is broken or that they, or their family, did something “wrong.”

Mental health conditions affect people from all walks of life and all age groups. They're far more common than you might think.

It can be hard to tell if what you're experiencing goes beyond typical stress or worry. It might be helpful to think about your mental health in the same way you think about your physical health.

Think about having a stomach ache because you ate too much or too fast. It causes discomfort, but you manage it by taking an over-the-counter medication or changing how you eat. It doesn’t last too long, and you probably wouldn't be concerned that something was seriously wrong.

But what if you wake up with a stomach ache every single day? You might try to manage it by taking over-the-counter medications or changing your diet. But when the pain doesn't go away, and it starts getting in the way of work, school, or sleep, this persisting pain would alert you that something is wrong.

Now, imagine that instead of a stomach ache, you’re feeling anxious. An anxious feeling can be temporary – maybe there’s an upcoming meeting or exam that you need to prepare for. But if the anxious feeling doesn't go away, and it starts to significantly interfere with your daily life, this can indicate an underlying health condition.

You don’t need to know exactly what's wrong to decide that it’s concerning enough to seek help.