End the Stigma - Mental Health Awareness Button

Let’s face it; mental health is heavily stigmatized, and nobody wants to talk about it - ever. So it might seem unusual to say this, but today, I feel pretty fortunate that my mental illness was "caught" before I did more damage to myself or others. While I am one of the lucky ones, it's time we stand up for mental health. Today, 1 in 5 Americans experience a mental illness. Many of them do so in the face of tremendous financial hardship and without the support of their friends and family. The costs are staggering - a severe mental illness can cost Americans $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year. These costs don't take into account the real costs of the patient - medications, therapy, and sometimes hospitalization.