 I have a tragic story that a lot of people can connect to. When I was four years old, my mother held me in her arms. She went over the San Diego Coronado Bay Bridge, which essentially took her life. She did not survive, but I did. The time that this occurred in 1985, I had been the only one to survive a fall up until that point. I was told that my mother and I were in a very bad accident, and I survived, and she did not. It wasn't said. I think I just came to believe that it was a car accident. My family did not tell me all of the details surrounding the death of my mother to protect me, protect my feelings. On top of the confusion, the answers that remain when somebody dies by suicide. They had those questions, and I probably would have more. Patients that die by suicide end up increasing the risk of their loved ones having severe depression or even dying by suicide themselves. And it's an unfortunate legacy that is left behind. Since finding out, I started attending a support group specifically for survivors of suicide loss. I feel responsibility in honoring my mother's life that she did have to be able to bring resources and awareness to others that need it. I think she is making a difference. I think speaking out and advocating for people to get help is a very important thing to try to help eliminate the stigma associated with getting treated for mental health care problems. I view a mental illness as an illness of the brain, and just like we wouldn't discriminate against somebody if they had a heart condition, we wouldn't tell them to not go see a cardiologist for that. It doesn't make sense to me that we tell people that are struggling with problems of the mind to not go see a mental health care professional for that. I think it's important for people coming to get mental health care treatment to understand that it's not like taking an antibiotic for an infection and that you can expect in seven to ten days to be done with the treatment course and to be cured. So mental illness in the vast majority of cases takes time for the treatment to help, and oftentimes the biggest determinant that I have found in how much better a patient is going to get is how determined they are. If you're struggling with anxiety or depression or another mental health problem, speak up, ask for help. It's not a sign of weakness. It's an illness of the brain and help is available. I think my mother would be very proud. I hope that I'm breaking some cycles because it is personal for everybody in every family. And I think she would be proud of me for using such an ugly story and turning it to something good.