I cannot imagine how my life would continue if my best friend were to have taken their own life in the turn of the new year in 2023. Like many others, there were very few signs-- if any --that my best friend was reaching such a low point in life where suicide felt like the only way out. When we had hung out the previous year, they were as happy as I was and even made plans towards the future with me, things for the next months or so, but after New Years they had told me that-that night they stood in their room with a knife in their hands, contemplating their next moves. The sense of dread that I felt in my gut, I've never felt it before, I was overwhelmed with a flood of thoughts filling my head as to what I missed, could I have been there for them more, what happened to them for this to happen, but I realized soon that this wasn't of major importance, what mattered was that my best friend was still alive, breathing, in front of me, and that I had the time now to make a difference. This experience made me experience first-hand the unexpected nature of suicide, how true it is you likely never see it coming and how quiet the voice asking for help can be. This fueled me with the question as to why individuals struggling with their mental health often feel unable to reach out for help, and in my research into this subject, I've realized how much of a stigma there is around mental health discussion, perpetuating this idea in everyone-- subconsciously or not-- that subjects of mental health are regarded as taboo and are often ignored, even when they matter most. This problem often accumulates in both people looking for help and those who could listen to someone in need, causing scenarios where instances such as depressive symptoms are dangerously overlooked or generalized, making the problem seem smaller than it really is, or scenarios where individuals feel dangerously alone because others won't receive their calls for help. In my desire to become a psychologist, I want to break down this stigma surrounding mental health and have it be more of an open conversation for anybody to have, both for those who need help and those who are able to help. By getting rid of this notion that mental health is a forbidden, uncomfortable subject, I believe it can help many others get to their feet and say when they need help, or say "Do you need help?" to somebody struggling. While it's said ignorance is bliss, the façade of ignorance crumbles when those closest to you feel they've been brought to their last possible permanent solution to their temporary problems.