When I was growing up, mental illness was not something that was spoken about in my community. It was generally associated with being "crazy" and unstable. For as long as I can remember, the thought of any illness or disease would cause my brain to go into overdrive causing anxiety. It was only in 2016 that my doctor classified these anxious thoughts of mine as hypochondriasis. Ever since, I've educated myself on mental illness and was shocked at the reality of how many people around me were facing types of mental illness in silence. I felt a deep desire to change how people viewed mental illness and the stigma surrounding it. Joining Mindstrong: Young Minds, a new branch of the already well-known, Mindstrong organization, was my first step
