Stigma and Self Stigma

It still is out there stigma.  This article talks about being resilient and I believe all people with a mental illness are resilient.  Just look what we came through a mental illness.  I know for a fact that it was the worst thing I had ever been through.  Why are there so many stigmas then?  How can a person go from being sane one day and then wake up and they have a mental illness?  I was in prison when my mental illness reared its ugly head.  That is the last place anyone would want to wake up a paranoid schizophrenic.  It is a shame that a person cannot be viewed for what they do in this world and not be defined as crazy because they have a mental illness.
I for one am highly functioning person with a mental illness.  I do not disclose I have a mental illness because an incident happened at my apartment building.  When my fridge was acting up it was hard enough getting them to replace it.  If they would have knew that I had a mental illness I would have been laughed at and never would have it replaced.  It is hard enough getting things done without a mental illness.  I remember when I first starting looking for apartments I told the landlady at one that I had a mental illness and she stopped talking to me and just talked to my sister who went with me.  I know I am not the only one.  I know for a fact there are a lot of people that are higher functioning that do not disclose that they have a mental illness not that they are ashamed but because the way people react to the news.
When they say diversity is that not all people no matter how they act or if they are different.  Why do ones quirks become different when that person has a mental illness?  Then they are just crazy if they do something different than the average person.  When they just grew up different than you or I in this world so of course they would be different.  Mental illness changes a person and they have to adjust to being different.  They are not only viewed different also they have changed inside or outside.  They may now have negative symptoms they have to deal with.  They now have to take medication every day.  Just to lead a fairly normal life then they have to put up with all the negative press and people.
I look forward to the day when there is no more stigma or self-stigma. Life is hard enough dealing with the fact that you just came through something that a normal person never has to go through.  If you can become a success that would be the best way to answer back I am ok. Life does go on and hopefully a person continues to grow even if they have a mental illness and just deal with life as it is.