I am so tired of not being able to show the slightest bit of emotion in response to anything at all, without having somebody ask, "Do you need to see your doctor? Are you getting depressed again?" My meds have been discontinued for some time now. My doctor says what I'm experiencing is normal reactions to stressful situations, and it's not a matter of being "sick" and needing medicine. No pill, she says, is going to make the situations I'm dealing with go away. Therefore, at the slightest sign of emotion, at least I no longer hear an automatic, "Did you take your medicine today?" But I used to hear that question too, when I was on medication.

Tonight, it was my husband who brought up "depression again" just because I was venting about a petty annoyance. We've had that discussion so many times, that just because somebody has a condition such as depression or PTSD, it doesn't mean their emotions are always pathological. Sometimes something sad happens, and we cry, and that doesn't mean we're relapsing. Sometimes something annoying happens, and we get angry and maybe say a few choice words, and that doesn't mean we're relapsing. I have tried and tried to tell him how stigmatizing it is to automatically assume, "Your feelings aren't normal. There must be something wrong with you." I'm about over that double standard, where it's OK for others to have emotions or be in a bad mood even if it is slightly illogical at times, but I have to have this permanent painted-on smile, or else I'm getting depressed again and need to call my doctor.

When I reminded him that he often vents about the bills, and he doesn't actually expect me to do anything about it, but he's just blowing off steam, that did open his eyes a little. "OK. Point taken." I also told him, when I am depressed and do need help, I will tell him. He doesn't have to ask me. That seemed to satisfy him too.

In fairness, he says he means it no differently from if he sees me rubbing my forehead, and asks me if I've got a migraine coming on. But in practice, it's really more like, every time I reach up to brush hair out of my eyes, or adjust my glasses, or scratch an itch, he catches the slightest motion of my hand near my face and thinks "migraine" because it can't possibly be anything else.

How do you handle it when people won't let you have emotions, because of your diagnosis?