The biggest weapon in battling mental health stigma and shame is speaking up. The more that individuals talk about their struggles, the more empowered others are to do the same. Once individuals feel free to discuss these issues openly, they are more likely to request and receive help and healing. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) sponsors End the Stigma, a program where an expert and a young adult living with a mental health condition share information and hope in communities and schools. One of their presenters shares this story about the secrets and lies surrounding her illness in her youth and what she would tell her 17 year old self about the future.