The human mind works like a clock. You have gears that allow the mind to function in everyday life. If we don’t take proper care of our clocks they can become slow and eventually burn out. Like our minds, if we don’t acknowledge our mind telling us there is something wrong, we eventually burn out. A study by the World Health Organization, or WHO, found that between 30 and 80% of people with mental health issues don't seek treatment. This is due to multiple reasons like judgment, doubt, pride, and fear. In our society mental illness is perceived as one being “crazy in the head” or not fit for society. These common perceptions in our world are also a big part of why many do not ask for help because they do not want to have these labels of themselves. Many would like to think it will go away but in reality, it never does if you don’t ask for help. Recent studies show that approximately one in five teens between ages twelve and eighteen suffer from at least one diagnosable mental health disorder. I am one of these teens that have been personally affected by multiple mental health disorders. I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety starting from the age of 14. My anxiety has been the one disorder that seemed to have locked itself onto my day to day life. During this time I would experience elevated heart rate, self-consciousness, restlessness and extreme stress. This cycle of feeling like this went on for a few months before I told my mother. She immediately booked a therapy appointment as well as a psychiatrist appointment for me to attend. When attending these sessions I felt the chains of holding it all in being released. Reaching out was the first step for me to getting better. Ever since I overcame my own obstacles I have wanted to make it my life’s journey to help others. The word mental health alone has such a big negative stigma around it. My goal is to help as many people as I can to receive help and not be ashamed. I have already started doing some work in the community for mental health. Last Christmas I was doing some research and came across an article about how the pandemic affected many jobs and left a lot of people in poverty. Because of losing their jobs and money being scarce, they were not able to afford feminine hygiene products for themselves. They would have to resort to using tissues, clothes and many other alternatives for feminine products due to not being able to afford them. This affected their mental health largely due to feelings of shame and a loss of their dignity. I immediately wanted to do everything I could to help so I teamed up with a company called Bright Spot which was linked with the Austin Diaper Bank and started communicating with them on how to help. I started an online drive, and all proceeds went to this organization to help indigent people in Austin get the products they needed during this time. It made me feel amazing being able to help others who were suffering during these times. My vision is a world where everyone takes care of the gears of their mind. Choosing a major in Psychology will allow me to continue my efforts toward helping others thrive personally and professionally. The Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of mental Health Scholarship will go far in providing me with the college funding I need for my future work in destigmatizing the concept of mental health.