Others quickly abandon medication, not wating to be reminded daily of their secret outcast status. And the fear of ostracism in worst in teenagers, who often don't seek help for things like depression until the illness spurs them to do something foolish. With all the political-correctness we've been smothered with, you have to wonder why psychological problems have escaped the swath of sensitizing. I can't quite put my finger on why, and that's not just because I don't have any fingers. Maybe we laugh because they make us nervous, afraid of the thought that our brains could go similarly awry.
Mental illness is just that, an illness.
It's not a character flaw, does not make someone unstable and dangerous, and it's treatable and curable. And we need to stop perpetuating the stigma. Even if it means the loss of a few good jokes. Ed the Sock.