How open are you about your mental illness?

[firemonkey]

To friends/family and on social media like facebook?

I maybe bore people at times but I do think the only way to reduce stigma about mental illness is for people to be as open as possible about anxiety and other issues. I regularly post mental health concerns on facebook and twitter.

[-andrew-]

I don't discuss it with anyone really. I don't see what good it would do. Either they have too many problems of their own or they just wouldn't be supportive. People don't consider things like social anxiety, aspergers and mild depression as major problems anyway.

[Mr. Nobody]

any time I've brought up my issues I've either not been believed or have had my MH issues dismissed outright with a curt reply.

Scottish working class background is probably not the most forgiving or understanding of environments to be fair.

[Undecided]

I've been very open about it. I'm not embarrassed or ashamed of having mental health problems.

I do sometimes regret being honest about it as in some cases it hasn't made any difference or helped at all. For example, employers just seem to gloss over it. You tell them you have depression and anxiety, and that's it. No follow up questions. They're not interested in how it affects you, or if there's anything they can do to help, so it seems pointless to mention it.

[ExSAguy]

I tell people in casual conversation in my matter-of-fact voice.
It's hardly a big deal is it?

[misska]

Tell no one, it would only bore them. And if you go on about it to much it would come across as self pity.

[Zykta]

Im very open about my depression but when it comes to my socila anxiety i am a bit of a closed book because i just cant seem to find the help i need and i cant do it any more on my own

[Utopia]

I don't feel comfortable being open with people I don't know all that well, but my immediate family and Doctors know. I think there is a lot of stigma and misunderstanding regarding mental illness for the most part so it's difficult.

[Cheshire Cat]

I work with children and was scared talking about 'mental health problems' would sound a bit like the sort of thing to get me fired. But I've generally found work colleagues understanding if I've mentioned it by Email, for example. It is me who carries around the fear, self-judgement and stigma about it, not other people.

[Fluorescent Grey]

Online I mostly talk to other people who have depression or social anxiety, and I think I'm pretty open with them. Family knows the basics - I'm on medication and seeing a councillor. Wouldn't think to trouble them with my frequent suicidal thoughts and all that crap. Friends? Dunno, don't really have any.

[Calvados]

I can be open with medical professionals, but other than that I find it very difficult to be honest about my SA. There's only one person who I can be truly honest with about the extent of my SA.

An aspect of my SA means that I really struggle to trust people. Partly for fear about how the information I give up about myself may be used against me. It leaves me feeling very vulnerable. There are other reasons too.

Even posting anonymously on this forum is hard work for me. It took a week of procrastination before I could pluck up the courage to post these few sentences on this thread One of my efforts at self-help involves forcing myself to post here.

[Quicksand]

I try to keep it closed and not so obvious now after whats happened to me five years ago but for some reason on a daily basis someone somewhere always picks up on it whether i speak or not on the phone or in email, do the online stuff or not, or go out or not. I dinnae get it. Friends assume i'm pushing them away which someone said today but thats not the case at all. some days i just dont want to communicate thanks.