#facedepression

A smile is the face of depression? Yeah it is.

It’s a mental health issue we all hide, yet we all experience at some point. We hide it from others and we hide it from ourselves. In the most tragic cases, it is hidden until suicide, where friends and family are left shocked, thinking, “but they were always so happy.”

My best friend, Steve, took his own life at 18. Almost 10 years later, I’m still among the most dumbfounded… always wondering “Why? Why did he never even hint that he was depressed?”

Well, after much time, I found the answer: the mental health stigma.

Suicide comes as a surprise, because everybody is uncomfortable talking about mental health. This is something that needs to change. If we can change the tone of our conversations about our health, we can not only save lives, but we can all simply be happier, healthier people.

Mental health, depression, and suicide need a lot more advocacy. There is a severe lack of it in our society and especially on social media. A few of my med-school friends and I created a completely pro-bono platform that I hope will help change this. We call it “A Smile Is.”

The A Smile Is Project is dedicated to promoting discussion around mental health issues. We are rooted in the belief that no matter what happens, we all deserve happiness. Our artists draw either an awareness portrait of you or a commemorative portrait of a loved one in exchange for donations.