I'm pretty open about it with friends, mostly because they ask about why I take pills and I feel comfortable telling them. I don't really tell professors often though (I've only told one or 2 because of circumstance) because I don't know how they would respond or what they would think about me. My biggest fear is that they would be one of those people that don't believe in mental illness (BS!) and that they would see it as "weakness"

I completely understand what you mean! When I was depressed last year I failed a class and now that I'm applying to study abroad programs and summer jobs I have to explain the circumstances. It ruined my GPA and now I have to explain that I was really suffering and that I am quite stable now. It's annoying because the professor of the class actually knew that I was struggling (and didn't judge me for it - said he struggled with depression) but he didn't cut me any sort of slack whatsoever!

It's hard to get my friends to understand how I felt (and sometimes feel even on the right meds), particularly because I'm pretty good at hiding when I'm really hurting. What annoys me the most is when one of my good friends trivializes it. She says "Oh, you didn't seem depressed last year. So-and-so seems more depressed than you". Just because I didn't seem depressed doesn't mean I wasn't depressed I failed a freaking class! I had an A- GPA in high school and proceeded to drop to a C- average when I became depressed last year! Obviously something was wrong!

Sorry for ranting! Definitely a sore spot for me.