Why advocate for Mental Health? When we are little we watch cartoons and shows not thinking about the work that goes into making said show. I was always curious about the actors behind the screen that voiced cartoon characters, how they knew what to say, and how to say it. Many more questions interested me, and at a young age I decided that I wanted to act and learn how to cry on cue, work on different facial expressions, and know how to act out any dialogue that is given to me. The whole idea of changing the way you think and feel to become your character is a challenge I was more than willing and excited to take on. I begged my parents to fly me to new york or L.A and allow me to become a child actor. There is nothing I wanted more. Little did I realize what these actors/actresses had to go through whether they grew up in the spotlight or not. I never really took into consideration how it would be if I too was one of those actresses who had to exercise their mind daily to conform into another human being. As I got older, I was thankful that my parents never allowed me to go after my dream prematurely, not because they thought I couldn't do it but because they were aware of the effect it had on kids. Now having the knowledge I do now of my mental health I too believe that it would have taken a tremendous toll on my mental state while I was young. Mental health is a very personal topic for me because it is something I deal with on a daily basis. I not only see how it affects other people but also how it affects me, and with analyzing this I see how it affects people differently. I didn't really start addressing my mental health until my junior year and was met with abrupt questions by family members such as “Why are you depressed” and they asked in a way to implicate that I was blessed and didn't have any physical trauma so why was there any need to feel this way, as if it was a switch I could turn on and off. With my mental health, I learn new things everyday and different ways to cope and deal with the stressors I endure better. This is vital if I want to ever succeed in being in the entertainment industry. Actors and Actresses go through a lot of turmoil to really get into the part that they portray. Some of the most oscar award winning actors and actresses have been inasmuch as broken ribs, long lasting depressing and psychotic breaks from just playing one part. Although Mental illness is so common in the world today, I want to help shed light and awareness so that people know that it's not something to be ashamed about and that it is not a sign of weakness. I also want people to realize that it also shouldn’t be brushed under the rug,
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