After tackling topics as brave and wide-ranging as coming out in a small town, sex, and reconciling politics with religion, Adolescent creator Sita McVay turns her lens to a perennially-underrepresented topic: mental illness. In just under six minutes, Sita's friends describe their relationships to mental illness and what it was like to grow up with a brain that didn't work the way everyone else's seemed to do. In these unflinchingly candid conversations, Sita's friends matter-of-factly describe the symptoms and consequences of their diagnoses and relive the difficult experiences they've had to endure as a result of growing up with a mental illness.

Mental illness remains a deeply stigmatized topic, even though 18.5% of adults in the U.S. experience mental illness within a given year and 21.4% of teenagers will experience mental illness at some point over the course of their life. If you're struggling with mental illness, don't be afraid to look for help. If you need someone to talk to, call a mental health hotline like the National Youth Crisis Hotline (800-442-4673) or the Trevor Project Helpline (800-850-8078). Most importantly, know that you're not alone.

video edited by Naomi Sedgwick