Is there a stigma attached to mental health?

[conlang returns]

In all seriousness, the stigma depends on the diagnosis.  You will get a different reaction if you say you have depression or ADHD from what you'll get if you say you have schizophrenia or autism.

Exactly. Theres a difference between someone who thinks they're a glass of orange juice and if they tip over they'll die, and someone with ADD who gets a little distracted from time to time. Cold hard reality of it, one of those people needs more help, and when the other makes their DEBILITATING illness into a huge fucking deal and tries to socially engineer disproportionate sympathy for themselves, its a fucking problem man.

Are you speaking of ADD'ers? 

[RageBeoulve]

In all seriousness, the stigma depends on the diagnosis.  You will get a different reaction if you say you have depression or ADHD from what you'll get if you say you have schizophrenia or autism.

Exactly. Theres a difference between someone who thinks they're a glass of orange juice and if they tip over they'll die, and someone with ADD who gets a little distracted from time to time. Cold hard reality of it, one of those people needs more help, and when the other makes their DEBILITATING illness into a huge fucking deal and tries to socially engineer disproportionate sympathy for themselves, its a fucking problem man.

Are you speaking of ADD'ers?

I'm speaking about a lot of things dude. A lot of what would be considered minor problems have become a fucking GOLD MINE for pharmaceutical companies and such.

[Jack]

'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'

[conlang returns]

In all seriousness, the stigma depends on the diagnosis.  You will get a different reaction if you say you have depression or ADHD from what you'll get if you say you have schizophrenia or autism.

Exactly. Theres a difference between someone who thinks they're a glass of orange juice and if they tip over they'll die, and someone with ADD who gets a little distracted from time to time. Cold hard reality of it, one of those people needs more help, and when the other makes their DEBILITATING illness into a huge fucking deal and tries to socially engineer disproportionate sympathy for themselves, its a fucking problem man.

Are you speaking of ADD'ers?

I'm speaking about a lot of things dude. A lot of what would be considered minor problems have become a fucking GOLD MINE for pharmaceutical companies and such.

Adult ADD has been very heavily marketed, along with the drugs that "fix" it.  And because we have a medical model of disability rather than a social one, it works very effectively.  No one questions being in an environment where they have to be constantly amped up on ritalin in order to succeed.  Rather than being in the wrong environment, they have a personal medical problem that ritalin fixes. 

[cynara]

'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'

Love that.
Stolen

[Gopher Gary]

Seriously? Stigma attached to mental health? 

[Jack]

'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'

Love that.
Stolen

'How do you know I’m mad?' said Alice.
'You must be,' said the Cat, 'or you wouldn’t have come here.'

[Gopher Gary]

'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'

Love that.
Stolen

'How do you know I’m mad?' said Alice.
'You must be,' said the Cat, 'or you wouldn’t have come here.'

Quit being so stigmatic, Jack. 

['andersom']

Is there a stigma attached to mental health?

Of course there is. Most of the members here have not disclosed that they are on the spectrum to others than really close friends and family, if even that. And, for a good reason too.
But, about our kids, if we have them, schools know, the system knows. Our kids will have a lot to battle against, because of the stigmatisation. Some of us are known adults on the spectrum. And yes, I do notice the downsides of being a known spectrumite. I find it easier to disclose my own autism than that of my daughter. Because I do not want her stigmatised about what I told about her. She can disclose to who she feels safe to do so.

It sucks, but if none of us come out, it will be all up to our kids, to battle the stigmas attached to their labels.

["couldbecousin"]

  Only one person at my job knows, mostly because I question the dx myself and wonder if I have any right
  to claim it.  I have gotten very socially skilled, largely through having the same workplace for so many years and spending
  all that time observing the same people in every mood and situation.  I sometimes think if I were really on the spectrum,
  I wouldn't have the ability to acquire social skills.  Also, I am inarticulate at explaining autism and what aspects of it
  I actually have.  Maybe I'm a fraud.  I'm more afraid of being a fraud than I ever was of being on the spectrum. 

['andersom']

  Only one person at my job knows, mostly because I question the dx myself and wonder if I have any right
  to claim it.  I have gotten very socially skilled, largely through having the same workplace for so many years and spending
  all that time observing the same people in every mood and situation.  I sometimes think if I were really on the spectrum,
  I wouldn't have the ability to acquire social skills.  Also, I am inarticulate at explaining autism and what aspects of it
  I actually have.  Maybe I'm a fraud.  I'm more afraid of being a fraud than I ever was of being on the spectrum. 

I don't think you are a fraud. It is possible to actively acquire skills. They did not come "naturally". But no matter what, you are a treasure. And you probably are at work too.

["couldbecousin"]

  Only one person at my job knows, mostly because I question the dx myself and wonder if I have any right
  to claim it.  I have gotten very socially skilled, largely through having the same workplace for so many years and spending
  all that time observing the same people in every mood and situation.  I sometimes think if I were really on the spectrum,
  I wouldn't have the ability to acquire social skills.  Also, I am inarticulate at explaining autism and what aspects of it
  I actually have.  Maybe I'm a fraud.  I'm more afraid of being a fraud than I ever was of being on the spectrum. 

I don't think you are a fraud. It is possible to actively acquire skills. They did not come "naturally". But no matter what, you are a treasure. And you probably are at work too.

  Dear cow, I will take your word for it.    

[Icequeen]

I'll admit, I don't understand depression 100% myself, so I'm probably not as apathetic as someone else would be.

Sure I've been depressed, but I keep it to myself, that's how I was raised.

I was always told "if you think you have it bad, someone else has it worse". My dad had a zero tolerance level for whining. If you moaned when you were sick, you had better be close to dying. It was how he was raised...and it just got passed down.

Hell, my father though fibro was "the depressed housewife syndrome" and if anyone hurt all over they were making it up, I think my mother had it...I think I probably developed it in my 20's...but denied anything for years...I still do. You got up every day, poured yourself a big cup of "harden the fuck up" and got on with life...even if you had to crawl to do it.

Depression runs in the family with the ex...his father will lay in bed for days on end at times...and if they get sick you would swear they're dying. Even after 14 years I will admit, I still don't "get it" totally...but I try.

If we were all raised in the same world the same way maybe the stigmas and intolerance  wouldn't exist...but we're not...so they do, and I think they will always continue to "be"...to some point anyways.

[Semicolon]

  Only one person at my job knows, mostly because I question the dx myself and wonder if I have any right
  to claim it.  I have gotten very socially skilled, largely through having the same workplace for so many years and spending
  all that time observing the same people in every mood and situation.  I sometimes think if I were really on the spectrum,
  I wouldn't have the ability to acquire social skills.  Also, I am inarticulate at explaining autism and what aspects of it
  I actually have.  Maybe I'm a fraud.  I'm more afraid of being a fraud than I ever was of being on the spectrum. 

I don't think you are a fraud. It is possible to actively acquire skills. They did not come "naturally". But no matter what, you are a treasure. And you probably are at work too.

  Dear cow, I will take your word for it.    

You are one of us, CBC.

Don't forget, we are the socially able aspergic elite.

[odeon]

I am going back 20+ years now,  when I was at school we had an American exchange student.  She was talking on the bus about her family and she mentioned at least two people in her family who had been to see a psychiatrist.   She spoke about it in a very positive way, like it was a normal thing to do. A good thing.  She couldn't understand why there were sniggers.

I got the impression from that, and subsequent material on the TV that America has a much more positive view of mental health.

I have nothing at all against mental health. I just don't like people making mountains out of molehills.