I am frustrated.... I believe each of us joins these forums for support, acceptance and a safe place to chat....I certainly have met some great people and have received more support since joining this forum then I have ever had before... so Please don't take anything I say offensive... I just have a question....

Why is it that it seems like people are very supportive, if you are diagnosed with depression, or PTSD or a number of other mental issues, but a few stand out like a sore thumb and people shy away from them?

It seems like the ones that may need so much support are the ones with the most stigma attached to them.

Yes, I am a CSA survivor, and if I were to tell someone that they would tell me how terrible it was and how it wasn't my fault.. If I say I have PTSD from a traumatic accident, I get lots of support, If I say I am depressed I have friends try and cheer me up... If I say I am a CSA survivor, who suffers PTSD and am often depressed... Society accepts this, they understand, they are compassionate.

But lets just say oh along with all of that, I deal with Anorexia... Then people act like you have a disease they are afraid to catch??? They chastise you, they shun you?

Or if you say, I dissociate, lets say all the way to D.I.D, because of the CSA, along with the PTSD and the depression..... they look at you like you are crazy... they can't get away from you fast enough.. they are afraid of you.. like you might change and stab them or something... I mean you could have a friend for 10 years, and the friendship is good, you tell them what really is going on in your life and they all of a sudden are unavailable all the time... or better yet you have a doctor who has been amazing for 12 years, you finally tell her you have D.I.D and she doesn't have appts for you any longer...

Why is it that some Diagnosis's come with such stigma... and others come with such support. Seems like I see it a lot and I just don't get it???

What scares people so much and why is there so much stigma around certain diagnosis and yet there is acceptance around others.... There is enough shame with any type of diagnosis, but then when the stigma and shame become that much more real, when certain diagnosis are disclosed... it just makes it that much harder on people that need support.

I am not saying that any Diagnosis is not difficult to deal with.... but a person who has a mental illness, is often stigmatized while someone who has a physical illness people rally around..... it makes no sense to me that people that need the most support and love, are the ones who often are the ones shunned.