Just don't panic, ok? It's so surprising how little people care about things sometimes.

I knew a woman once who wanted to come out as a lesbian. She picked a person to tell - one of the other women who lived in her scholarship hall. She worked up her nerve and told her. They had a little discussion, and she felt triumphant that she'd come out to someone.

A few months later, she mentioned it again to this same woman. The woman says, "Are you a lesbian? I didn't know that!"

I think about that whenever I worry that people might be gossiping about me. Other people are way less interested in us than we imagine they are.

It could be these two jerkwads really care about whether you have a mental illness. Or it could be they're looking to needle you. Hold your head up and ignore them. Most people who hear this gossip won't care. I know that's hard to believe, but it's true. Some people will even defend you, because they have loved ones who are suffering with MI. Or they are themselves.

For the people who do care-- they'll be looking at how you react. If you shrug it off, you give them nothing to talk about. If you get angry or act out in some way, they'll be saying, "Ah ha! Look how he's acting. Must be something to this!"