Stigma

This may have been posted before (not sure) but I was wondering how
the stigma of mental illness affects your life, maybe at work or personal
relationships. People today still don't always get what having a mental
illness is all about. I'm not really asking about your mental illness but
how the stigma of it affects your life.
I know for me the stigma kept me from opening up to those I love.
The thought of them seeing me as weak or defective somehow was
a very tough feeling to overcome.

I don't experience a stigma because the only people who know I have an illness is family and really close friends.

I know it's out there, though. People don't seem to understand it is a biological illness no different than diabetes or high blood pressure.

Also, people fear what they don't understand. It is out there and we just have to try and limit it's intrusion into our lives.

It affects it a lot. But, I'm sure a lot of variables play together in that mainly ignorance on others part.

My family has absolutely nothing to do with me. I deal with social phobia, generalized anxiety and agoraphobia. The last blow out we had was after a very traumatic event in my life. It turned into a family member implying i should kill myself and another one pulling a weapon on me and threatening to kill me. Somehow it it was made out to be my fault but it was from the ignorance of not understanding my anxiety disorders and it added more on to it. That said, I ended up completely cutting contact with them and I've dealt with this kind of behavior from them majority of my life.

In terms of the workplace, I am unemployed, I want to do at home business as i have a few things I'm passionate and confident about but i have absolutely no support financially to even kick start it. and every time i got to a DMV i have a meltdown with anxiety and it triggers suicidal thoughts so i cant get any disability. I also play music but no-one has taken an interest in that or wants to do projects with me.

In terms of relationships I've faced a lot of rejection and sometimes people can be very cruel. I've had a lot of women treat me like crap just for being unemployed, or as soon as i disclose my anxiety disorders. Fortunately, I have a very close female friend who gets me and doesn't judge me and loves me.

Despite all of these things i will continue to be open and honest about how i feel and what i deal with, I will not allow anyone to make me feel ashamed of who i am, my issues or circumstances. I've learned through pain and also maturity that it is always a reflection of who they are and not you.

You are never weak or defective, we are a product of our life experiences and anyone who tries to belittle that or make you feel bad, promptly smile and show them your middle finger.