@theotherone Hello Jan. I hope that you and @gingerw don't mind my interjection in your conversation. Yes, there is stigma still about mental illness, but not as much as you believe. Just about everyone has a relative or family member that has some form of mental illness, whether it be OCD, bi-polar, or straight up depression. My daughter has bi-polar and ocd. She THINKS nobody knows or cares (but everybody does know something is not right with her and does care). She will not open up about any of it to anyone. SHE is the one with the stigma. I feel badly that you feel like there is nowhere to turn to. Have you ever heard of NAMI? They are a national group that supports and educates in the name of Mental Illness. They are fighting hard to elimenate the stigma. I am doing my part by openly talking about my daughter. You can Google NAMI and try to find a physical/local support group. You can really learn a lot from other people. I really wish my daughter would open up about her bi-polar or reach out when she is able, but she doesn't. I worry incessantly about her and feel helpless. You and Ginger have shared your feelings about your depression; I just wanted to share mine from the other side of the fence. Sending you both hugs.

@gingerw thank you for your encouraging post. I'm very happy I found Connect. Although I don't post much, it helps me a lot.