I completely agree that while things have gotten better since the 19th and 20th century, I don't see the stigma against the mentally ill disappearing from the baby boomer generation especially, and even among millennials.

I am so stressed out from school, being bullied (this is going my 12th year being friendless and ostracized by all my peers yay) and the stress of being in one of the hardest high school programs there are, and feeling isolated and irritable all the time just gets to me, and that's normal considering I have undiagnosed symptoms of major depression, have previously self-harmed, has held a bottle of pills wanting to end it all before. I am textbook mentally unstable. So instead of getting support from family and friends? What do I get?

Disappointment, anger and hate directed at me. Not once has anyone ever asked me if I was okay, because if I'm not smiling, people steer clear of me as if I am contagious. My parents say I complain too much, look for sympathy, and that I am attention seeking and that if I cannot handle school, I should drop out.

That is the most ignorant comment I have ever heard, considering they know of my mental illness but keep telling me that if I take multivitamins (I already take 4 a day plus some) that I will be magically healed.

When my parents found out that I self harmed, they took all my electronics away because apparently "I got the idea from the internet" and my dad said and I quote that I am "not as smart as I thought you were". Again just like with school comment, when does depression equate to stupidity?!

I tried telling my doctor I was suicidal, my mom chimed in all panicky saying "NO it's just school no no she doesn't know what she's talking about". So now, any time I try to mention it again to my doctor he doesn't take me seriously, so no diagnosis is possible.

My parents see that I'm sad, ask what's wrong, I tell them, they call me selfish and spoiled and attention seeking. Like you asked, I told you the truth, and I get PUNISHED for it.

My classmates take my silence and off-putting attitude as rudeness instead of anxiety, stress, and simply refusal to answer their nosy questions about "why were you away the other day".

I'm so sick and tired of being treated like I'm worthless and weak and not human because of everyone sweeping my issues under the rug, and leaving me to handle it myself in silence for fear of being a burden. That is why people take their lives, because no one wants to care.

The stigma is real and isn't going away any time soon