Removing the Stigma of Mental Illness
Written by Martha Manning 
July-August 1999
The biggest culprit contributing to the stigma associated with mental illness isn’t cruelty, but ignorance. The shame is another story. It’s not in my head; it’s in my gut, in my bones.
I suffered from depression so severe that I couldn’t eat or sleep. I could barely speak. Moving was like trying to push through molasses.