Stigma/embarrassment/awkwardness associated with mental illness

[innocent soul dismembered]

I`m interested to know what people say in response to the questions `how are you?` `are you alright?`, whilst in the throes of crippling depression.

When a stranger or relative says to me `how are you?` and I feel mentally ill (which is nearly always to some extent) I just say `oh fine`, reluctant to bring up the whole mental illness thing, yet if I have flu and someone asks me the same question I have no qualms about telling them what is ailing me.

The irony about it all is that physical illness has probably accounted for less than 1% of illness suffered throughout my life, yet I`ve talked more openly about that than the torturous mental burdens I suffer on daily, and sometimes hourly basis.

I wonder if we will ever get to a stage where people can say to each other `are you alright?` `no, I`m suffering from crippling mental illness` without giving it a second thought.

Will the stigma/embarrassment/awkwardness of having mental problems ever be fully removed or will it just get worse?

 

[lymeinside]

When people ask "how are you" they don't really want to know how you are, its just a greeting.

Anyway mental illnesses and disorders are never going to become ok to just openly talk about. I sure as hell am not going to tell random people about mine.

 

[Terry]

People will never be comfortable with openly acknowledging other peoples pain, either they have no concept of mental illness or it hits a vunerable spot in their own psyche.

 

[Will]

Yeah, I feel pretty strange on occasion when confronted like this as well. Though it's not really a good feeling, I get these weird cramp type things min my chest, and it hurts, I'm not sure what it is...but whened I'm asked, I feel like I have a mental illness, I just don't bother to ask anyone for help.

 

[Allo..]

I remember once.. I was honest on MSN when someone asked me how I was.. they just said "Lol" i got shitty and wrote something on the computer that if seen sounds like i should be in anger management..

Yeah, it is a greeting, but there are those honest ones.. so we cant sterotype the population.

 

[immure]

i don t know about that i find people take the real accounts its just i had to rehearse and come up with lines i could use so i felt real and it wasn t done in a fashion that leaves them stunted for words. its a akward thing but if we don t figure ways to make better bridges we will get stuck in ourselves and that is no good

 

[Insignificant]

i know personally when my depression is at its worst i just tell people i'm hanging in there because i can't say honestly i'm doing fine.

 

[eih]

I know what you mean... when someone asks how are you, you just lie and say oh I'm fine...

It's even harder if someone who knows you have a mental illness asks how are you because they're addressing that inparticular... I dunno it just seems like saying how you really feel will just get them upset or frustrated with you...