I'm with you, lonegael. I might say, "I do have an illness, but that's not an excuse, and I apologize." If I'm going to say, "I have an illness, so I can't be held responsible for what I said or did," then how can I expect others to see me as a competent person deserving of respect? If I'm not responsible--then I'm not trustworthy, and others must make decisions for me. Not what I want at all, so I'd rather take my lumps when I screw up.

Those who use illness as an excuse have no right to complain about stigma.