While I think that being assertive and vigilant about how mental illness stigma can hurt and harm people, being totally serious about how mental illness affects you can be just as harmful. 

Everyone’s experience with mental illness is different. What I hate the most about people who say they are trying to help de-stigmatizing mental illness is that many of them don’t actually show a whole lot of compassion for how other people might handle their mental illness(es). Which doesn’t always have to be an angry “Hey, you don’t understand what it feels like to have depression, REAL depression! Don’t say that you’re depressed!” Some people deal with their mental illness through laughter, self-depreciation, etc.

How does ANYONE know, truly, what anyone else is feeling? Just because someone doesn’t post about their depression, anxiety, etc., doesn’t mean they don’t have some sort of illness going on. 

I’ve had moments where my mental illness took over, and I acted crazy. Yes, I’m using that word. CRAZY. Let it roll off your back.