What is it like to "come out" about having experienced mental
illness? August 14, 2014 12:57 AM   Subscribe  I would like to
hear stories from people who have "come out" about their lived
experience of mental illness. What is it like to simply say,
offhand, "Oh, yeah, I had depression" in the same way one might
say, "Oh, yeah, I'm queer" - and have that be relatively common
knowledge about you, rather than a private matter to be shared
only with your closest confidants? How did you make the decision
to be open and honest about your experience, and what were the
benefits/pitfalls of doing so? Did you worry about professional
ramifications down the line? How did it affect your sense of
self? Do you ever wish you could un-disclose and stop being the
"token crazy person"? I am particularly interested in hearing
from people who have "come out" about their experience in order
to assist others - for example, using your lived experience in a
professional context to work in mental health promotion or peer
support work