[MotownJohnny]

I was brought up to believe strongly in "keeping up appearances" and to "never air your dirty laundry in public". People with mental illness were viewed as "unseemly" if their problems were known to anyone beyond their immediate inner circle. One reading my mother covered up my father's years of serious mental problems. A big reason why I have tried to cover up my own.

So, some of the many questions I have struggled with - is it immoral to be mentally ill? Is a character flaw? Does it reflect badly on you as a person? On your family or friends or co-workers? How should people who find out treat you - with scorn or kindness?

What in thought I knew two years ago has proven wrong. I actually think a lot of the people I have met on this journey have a great deal of moral character - you have to to survive not only the condition itself, but also all of the crap society desks out to you over the condition.

I think if " normal" people knew just how hard it can be dealing with a mental health issue both medically and sociologically, they would respect us a lot more and ridicule us a lot less.

[lizardlady]

Immoral to be mentally ill? No more that it would be immoral to have any medical condition.

Is it a character flaw? No. Again, someone does not have a character flaw for being ill.

Does it reflect badly on you as a person? No. See above.

On family or friends or co-workers? What does my mental health have to do with my friends or co-workers. They are responsible for themselves. I'm responsible for me. Family? Well, maybe, but from the perspective that if I hadn't grown up in the environment I did I would not have developed some of the mental health problems I have.

I don't want to be treated with kindness or scorn. I want to be treated like any other human being. My illness does not define who I am. I want people to respond to my whole person, not just an illness.

[shabur]

Mental illness is an illness, just like diabetes, cancer, etc. It, unfortunately, has been stigmatized over the years because of ignorance. I think today it is better understood and some of the stigma is falling away, but I still only share it with those I want to...as I would if I had cancer.

[ForeverLonelyGirl]

I don't think it is immoral to be mentally ill, however when your illness makes you do things that are not socially acceptable, we are treated as if we are immoral creatures. Forever and ever, amen!

Is it a character flaw? In the perspective that it is an illness, it should not be considered a flaw. However I personally feel like I have a huge character flaw and am treated as such.

Does it reflect badly on us as people? Again, unfortunately it sure does seem to from the reactions of others. People with obvious signs of disability are discriminated against. Definitely.

Does it reflect badly on our families? No, if the signs of abuse are not easily identified, the reflection points only towards the ill person. Even though the abuse certainly can cause or increase the incidence of a mental illness.

"I think if " normal" people knew just how hard it can be dealing with a mental health issue both medically and sociologically, they would respect us a lot more and ridicule us a lot less." Maybe, there are the compassionate few but I have found it true that unless a person has suffered themselves, they lack understanding and insight about mental illness.

As far as the old cover up goes, that was done rampantly years ago, an ill person was kept away from others and the "secret" was kept as fervently as possible. Probably the reason progress has been very slow in educating the public to be less ignorant. When my family had to acknowledge that I had a serious problem, they kept it under wraps. If I was in the hospital then no extended family was notified of any problems like for all other illnesses. I am sure the truth of the matter was never told.

[ChipperMonkey]

is it immoral to be mentally ill?

It is no more immoral than having cancer or diabetes. Morality issues are left up to what we can control, and mental illness is definitely beyond that realm

Is a character flaw?

Again, no, its not a character flaw, any more than cancer would be a character flaw for someone fighting cancer.

Does it reflect badly on you as a person?

Unfortunately, due to stigma, it DOES reflect badly on us as people who are mentally ill. It is our job to put a very "normal" face on mental illness to smash the public stereotype.

On your family or friends or co-workers?

If my friends and family are worried more about how the world will see them instead of my overall well being, they aren't the kind of people I want in my life.

How should people who find out treat you - with scorn or kindness? (Is anyone going to say scorn unless they are full of self-hatred?) Kindness, OF COURSE! Compassion, too.