Amanda Bynes isn’t an unfamiliar name to the pop culture scene. Over the past few years, the former Nickelodeon star’s reputation has plummeted in a downward spiral of DUIs, drug use, plastic surgery, and scandalous rumors, all of which has been eagerly soaked up by the public through social media.

The actress has received a lot of negative press throughout the course of her public breakdown, including plenty of insulting and vindictive responses towards her bizarre tweets.

As no official statement has been released, it still isn’t totally clear what happened to Amanda, but her outlandish behavior and current hospital confinement suggest that she is suffering from a severe mental illness, possibly PSTD.

Amanda isn’t the only one experiencing emotional and psychological stress. Although her case is quite extreme, I think we can all relate to the sometimes overwhelming burden of dealing with the many responsibilities that life throws as us.

So what exactly is stressing us out so much? Maybe an easier question to answer is what isn’t.

Millennials simply have too much crammed onto their plates: classes, homework, extracurriculars, jobs, internships, volunteering, not to mention maintaining a social life. On top of that, there are the worries of finances, landing a stable job, and relationships.

Additionally, our generation feels like they need to be good at everything in order to rise above other young adults in the extremely competitive workplace.

It often seems as though we have more things to be anxious about than not, and the pressure to stay on top of everything can be feel like too much to handle. No wonder we are the most stressed out generation.

All of this excess stress is leading to an increase in conditions such as depression, anxiety, and exhaustion among “Generation Y.” In fact, studies have shown that millennials are so overwhelmed that they are more forgetful than seniors.

We have access to more information and resources than ever, yet we are stressed out, worn out, and burnt out.

So what can we do to see a change in this discouraging trend? I think the first step is showing compassion towards one another. If we stop pretending that we have it all together and instead support each other through life’s struggles through encouragement and kindness, we can overcome the craziness of the pressure to be perfect.

So next time you’re tempted to mock Amanda Bynes, Miley Cyrus, or any one of the other celebrities we love to tear down, please think twice and remember that we all have our own struggles.

Featured photo credit: 4hdwallpapers.com