I had a great talk today with a friend about how we see mental illnesses in the Church. We talked about many who are "acting fine" when they really aren't. Teens and adults alike are great at fooling everyone, including the people closest to them. Many don't want to let on that they are tortured by their own mind day in and day out. How can we do away with the shame associated with these problems?

If you or someone you love has depression or any other mental health problem, I hope you'll open your heart to the wisdom of this quote. There is no more shame in getting medical treatment for depression than there is for getting help with diabetes or heart trouble. You wouldn't tell your friend with cancer to simply be more spiritual, have more faith, or think more positively. Let's make sure all of our loved ones with depression know that we know this isn't their fault, they aren't broken, and we don't see them as faithless. Depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses are chemistry problems, not character problems. Let's show them we stand by their side as they wrestle with their trials as they've stood by us when we've wrestled with ours.