Depressed? No guns for you, and no travel either

[JSThane]

There is also a sort of backwards pride associated with it in certain corners, as well. It's not the pride of accomplishment, or really even of a group, but a reflexively wounded pride that takes glory in being discriminated against, the sort of thing that actually -draws- malingerers and only makes the public scorn and stigma worse.

I'm not sure about that. Having watched it as an observer, much of the mental health process that we have, at least in the Dallas area, is woefully inadequate. And there are many in it who genuinely need help but are not getting it. The drugs involved (example SSRIs) are more of a trial and error process as the doctors attempt to find one or a combination that works for an individual That trial and error can take years. I never personally observed the malingering types. Usually it was deniers - those who would only tacitly accept the fact that they had a problem worthy of treatment.

I submit that the treatment of mental patients in our society occurs in much the same way as we treat those with autism or Downs syndrome. There seems to be an inferiority stigma attached to them. Many who are autistic or who suffer from clinical depression can be extraordinarily bright but because they cannot always channel their mental gifts in conformance, they get no credit for them.

Sorry, let me clarify. There is a sort of backwards pride associated with pretending one is part of a group with perceived prejudice against it. Thus you get the people using claims of bipolar and schizophrenia to get out of work and/or responsibility, getting psychotropic drugs, AND getting to claim membership of a persecuted or protected class. Malingerers and hypochondriacs, in other words, who muddy the waters, jam up the airwaves, and only serve to worsen the stereotype, are who I'm talking about with this assertion.

Edited to add:
An example of similar protected victim-hood status, while pretending to be a member of a persecuted group, can be seen any time a "minority" spray-paints racist vandalism on their own home, then calls the cops. It's attention-seeking, and only diminishes those with actual problems.