This is so ironic cuz I've been thinking a lot about this topic. I know that it's not my fault that I have schizoaffective disorder. It's the other people I worry about. I hate hiding it from my fam (not my immediate fam) esp when it's relavent to whatever is going on. Ex. I can't tell my inlaws that I don't have the stamina to be active an entire day because I take a large amount of psych meds. Instead I feel like I have to just make up some excuse like I have a headache. I've dealt with so much discrimination from people I've told that I've become paranoid. Some people have such archaic ideas regarding mental health. The other thing I hate is that so many people equate mental illness with ignorance. I've read of doctors who have bipolar disorder. I'm not an idiot so don't treat me like one! Anyone else noticed how confessing to mental illness can shut an entire conversation down? I don't wander up to people and say, Hi, I'm ------ and I have schizoaffective disorder. I'm just talking about the conversations that relate to it. I had one lady say she didn't want me to babysit because I might be dangerous. Even at my most sick, I was never violent towards others. Sorry to just rant, but I've been struggling with all this stuff. I'm very frustrated. I guess I should just figure that who cares what they think, but it's the past mistreatment that keeps me from that. I never want to admit to something and then feel uncomfortable around that person later. I shouldn't feel ashamed. No one is embarrassed to say they're diabetic, right?