Mental illnesses are a relatively new concept, and we're only just getting past some of the stigmas now, so while I'm sure that the illness has been around as long as people have, it's possible nobody realized what it was. I don't think they were "braver", just uninformed. I imagine they were terrified, feeling the way they did with no explanation, or with wrong explanations that might have led them to believe that they were possessed, that this was their fault, that there was just something wrong with them or their personalities. Yesterday, I finished reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, which is basically about a young woman who becomes depressed and winds up in an asylum after attempting suicide. While it is very clear that she's suffering from depression, it's never actually named in the book, which I found interesting. I guess what I'm trying to say is that something exists and is just as painful and difficult to handle whether we have a name for it or not.

Personally, I'm scared to death of going off my meds because right now I know they're the only things that are getting me out of bed in the mornings. Psychologically and emotionally, I'm still REALLY messed up (understatement of the year ) but on the physical side of things, I've got my appetite back, I can get out of bed in the mornings and I don't have to lie down every couple of hours because I'm too tired to function. I don't have crying fits and I don't have any more suicidal thoughts. The feelings are still there, but they're dulled to the point that I can carry on. I guess the way I see things is that deciding whether or not to go off your meds should be based on choosing which state will render you more functional, and will also be safest for you. If the side-affects of the meds are really troubling, maybe there's a way to decrease your dosages without completely stopping them, to see if that makes a difference.