May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and every year I find myself thinking about how much has and hasn’t changed in the way we talk about mental health. We’ve come a long way. But there are so many people that still feel if they can’t handle things on their own, something must be wrong with them.

That’s a lie.

Something I hear a lot, which sounds cliche but is also true: “We would never tell someone with a broken leg to just push through. Mental health deserves the same grace.”

We don’t think twice about going to a doctor for a fever, a sprained ankle, a headache that won’t quit. We don’t tell ourselves we’re weak for needing antibiotics or a cast. And yet, when it comes to anxiety, depression, grief, burnout (all the invisible weight people carry), there’s still this idea that we should just… figure it out.

Mental health is health. Full stop. It affects how we sleep, how we parent, how we show up for the people we love, how we feel in our own skin. Struggling mentally is not a character flaw any more than struggling physically is. And just like physical health, it exists on a spectrum, from everyday stress to more serious conditions and all of it is worth taking seriously.

Here’s the thing about asking for help that I think gets missed: it takes courage. It is not an easy thing. It means admitting that something is hard. It means deciding that you matter enough to invest in. That’s not weakness, that’s strength.

Therapy, medication, a support group, an honest conversation with a friend, all of these aren’t signs that you’ve failed. They’re tools. And smart, strong people use the right tools for the job.

Let’s use this month to give ourselves and the people around us more grace. And then let’s keep that going each month after that. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. If someone you love is struggling, the kindest thing you can do is make space for that conversation without judgment. And if you’ve been carrying something heavy for a while now, please know: reaching out is not weakness. It might just be the strongest thing you do all year.

If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7: call or text 988. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.