> but the America of the early 21st century is not kind to the mentally ill. This line really strikes me and I have shared my thoughts on this before. Mental i

> but the America of the early 21st century is not kind to the mentally ill. This line really strikes me and I have shared my thoughts on this before. Mental illness like Depression has become much more accepted and view as a real thing in the US and to me because it is something that people can experience without having the disease. The combination of physical and mental symptoms of depression can all be experienced without having depression. It can be understood by many people. But there are many other mental illnesses that are have symptoms foreign to most people and I think it makes it harder to sympathize and even understand. Personally, I was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder when I was 17 (16 years ago) and had many hallucinations and delusions. It messed up my college plans as my family didn't think I was safe enough to live on my own (which was correct). A few years ago, I was diagnosed with OCD. Now, my OCD isn't like the kind you see in movies or TV. I don't obsessively wash my hands or have to count. Mine is much darker. I have homicidal thoughts as well as what pretty much amounts to being a stalker. Again, it is hard to express to people my thoughts. I grew up pretty much thinking that I was going to end up in jail as my thoughts would get the best of me and I would act on them. It took me several years before my wife found out about my thoughts and that was only because I accidentally left a blog open that I was writing. She didn't understand and she was scared for her own life. It made me feel even more like a monster. As I'm writing this I realize I'm getting off topic from the article, in a sense, and I don't know what I'm trying to accomplish. Maybe this is just me needing a release. We have come a long way in the US with mental health over the past 50 years but we still have a long way to go.