Why are Americans so reluctant to talk about mental illness? Why is it kept a secret? Why is it most people’s first reaction to look away quickly when confronted with someone exhibiting behaviors that appear like symptoms of mental illness (or worse yet, stare…)? I wonder if it is because we know that we, too , are mentally ill. I mean, aren’t we all? Don’t we all experience depression, anxiety, racing minds, isolation, suspicion, or “different-ness”? Maybe not to the point of diagnosis or medication, but if we do a thorough, honest self-assessment I tend to think that the vast majority of us would find things in ourselves that concern or embarrass us. This is not to downplay the seriousness of mental illness. Someone who talks out loud to themselves but recognizes it is their voice and not that of a stranger (me) has a much simpler row to hoe than a person diagnosed with schizophrenia who hears and speaks to voices often. Rather, thinking about mental illness this wa