Ralph 2, I'd really like to have this crystal ball and be able to answer your question. I do know that history does speak volumes to the answer to your question. Which I perceive to be: Why all the negative stigma around someone who has a mental illness? However, In my opinion, there are other reasons behind the behavior of the past and present and that is FEAR. Fear of not knowing and of vulnerability.
I worked for a number of years with people who had major depression and other mental illnesses. Oh, how I wish I could go back and what different things I would do. Seeing from the inside out changes ones perspective. I don't think I slighted the people with whom I worked, but I could have been more efficient and effective.
I do believe that advocacy is important in my recovery NOW. When I was literally in the bed two years, advocacy was the furtherest thing from my mind. I think there comes a time when we all have to advocate for those things which are important to us. Things that impact my life are important!
I think the stigma that my family hangs on to is the most hurtful of all. My brother saying to me just 3 weeks ago, "With your depression, you don't think straight". I won't tell you my response as it is uncharacteristic of me as well as not publishable on the web page. However, I did go on to tell him, that my depression was no different than his diabetes, both are chemical imbalances and both had to have ongoing lifetime treatment for us to be able to function and live in society. (I cannot reflect the true tone or verbal exchange that resulted in his reaching this conclusion with me.) However, I did say specifically at the end, that I didn't care if he accepted my depression on the textbook explanation or the visually presentation, either way, "don't say ugly things to me, I do not deserve it". I went around strutting my stuff all day, because I stood up for me and I stood up for depression and I stood up for the combination.
I do advocate for people with mental illnesses through an organization. I took my son to a recent event as he had difficulty understanding why I could be smiling and depressed at the same time among many other things. He's 29 and an attorney. He wanted to understand, but couldn't grasp the concepts from the text books. lol, he and I both have this misconception about reading and knowing. Anyway, he bought a dollar rubber-band type bracelet that says NAMI on one side and 1 in 5 on the other side. He wears it with his suits to court. Talking about making a mother proud - for many reasons. He's advocating, it is a sign he's understanding, and he's not worried about someone thinking it may be him. Sending out the letters to over 50 family and friends advocating donations was a huge step for me. First, publicly admitting MY problem and asking them to advocate for people with mental illness as well. It was a sign of my having accepted my depression and facing it head on (in my mind).
I know I haven't answered your question, but I gave you some research to do on history - looking back to witch hunts (not saying their aren't real witches for those of you who follow that religious belief), how people with mental illness and other "inflictions" were treated, institutionalized, locked away, imprisoned, etc. These things occurred in the US until I believe the 1960's when a law that deisnsitutionalized people with mental illness. They passed this law without resources in place to assist people in living/adjusting to the "real" world and it created a mess (a lot of still exists today) with homelessness, treatment availability and variou
