Fitness guru Bob Harper is a perfect example: As a personal trainer best known for his role as a coach on The Biggest Loser, Harper appears in a variety of workout videos, and he's authored many books about diet and fitness. And when Harper experienced a heart attack, no one questioned his commitment to good health. Instead, people used his story as a reminder that you can't control your genes. Wouldn't it be nice if we did the same for people with mental illness?

When someone develops a physical illness, like cancer, no one ever says, "He wasn't physically strong, was he?" Instead, we look to things like genetics, the environment, and the person's immune system.

the truth is, many individuals who have a mental illness are mentally strong. In fact, some of the strongest people I've ever met

Suicidal depression is like having to sneeze.

It’s not desiring the fall; it’s terror of the flames.

Make no mistake about people who leap from burning windows.

You don’t think about your family or the reasons not to do it. All you’re feeling is an incredible itch to sneeze, and you’re certain that anything short of sneezing wouldn’t relieve you of the sensation.