I guess people will always fear what they cannot see and therefore cannot relate to or understand. Having suffered from Depression for nearing on 20 years now I've learned from experience that it's better to keep your mouth shut most of the time... labels will be attached and it can have quite a dramatic effect on your social interactions with people you had considered friends.

I do not and cannot blame others for negative reactions, like has been said above 'an educated, enlightened society' is not something to hold your breath over when it comes to mental health.

I am fortunate that my wife on 13 years is supportive but even we had a number of turbulent years due to not being able to relate and just thinking I'd snap out of it... I guess it was when I told her I'd get help and speak to professionals that she herself was able to get a better grasp of the situation.

Having a mental illness does not make us infantile and I think sometimes it's important to understand the short comings of others reactions and keep your chin up whilst finding solutions through professional help as well as self help. It can be a hard road to tread, especially in the beginning... but at the end of the day we ourselves have to place our feet on that road to find a path of better balance.