Stigma

Nancy Shute at NPR:

Yet many people won’t tell their primary care doctor that they’re suffering symptoms of depression because they’re afraid they’ll be prescribed antidepressants, according to some new research. And the people who are suffering the most are the ones least likely ask for help.

There’s long been a stigma about mental illness, and though people are far more upfront about depression than they were in years past, that stigma hasn’t gone away. Just ask someone who’s been turned down for life insurance because they took antidepressants long ago, or someone who’s afraid to tell the boss why they’re struggling to make it in to work.

I know I was very slow to seek support and help (including medication). I wish I had moved faster — I lost far too much time to this disease.