Dear,

Next President

My name is Kyra Laramie, congratulations for winning the election. Hopefully, you will take the issues facing America very seriously. One issue that I hold dear to my heart is that mental illness is not taken seriously and does not receive the appropriate amount of research. I struggle with three mental illnesses and it took seven years for me to become stable. In those seven years, I wished there were more support and knowledge on what was happening to me.

Many think, "Why should we spend more of our funds on mental illness studies. When we have illnesses that causes death." Mental illness may not kill you from germs or diseases, but it can push someone to take their own life. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in youth and the 8th in America. 90% of those suicides are performed by a person battling a mental illness.

It's not just the person that committed suicide or the one that suffers the mental illness that gets affected. Their family also feels the pain of their loved one. It is every parent's nightmare to have to call an ambulance for their son or daughter or even seeing them in so much pain. Wondering if there's any way to help them and bring their happy boy or girl out of the darkness.

We need more funds or fundraisers to get money for the studies of mental illness. With knowledge on the matter, the next person that faces mental illness doesn't have to wait seven years to feel stable. With that stability, the person could live a long and happy life.

Thank you,

Kyra Laramie

http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers

For more information on Mental Illness, from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).