Which is worse? What is said or what isn't?

"Despite growing knowledge of how to diagnose and treat mental illness, myths and misperceptions about these disorders persist, leading to stigma and discrimination toward those who suffer from them."
-------Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter

     People with mental illness have been fighting stigma since the Dark Ages, when religious zealots decided it was caused by a flaw in moral character and put the ill in locks and chains in dungeon rooms. Today, the mentally ill may not be locked away and physically tortured, but  they are still kept bound by the judgment of others. Some areas affected by these attitudes include healthcare, employment, entertainment, media, law enforcement, insurance and social relationships.
     According to an initiative by the Australian Department of Health and Aging, people still routinely blame the mentally ill for their disorders. Common misconceptions are the mentally ill are more violent and those with mental illness are more likely to miss excessive amounts of work.
http://www.responseability.org/site/index.cfm?display=134896
     Several years ago, I personally witnessed stigma on the job. A coworker suffering from depression became ill and missed a couple of days of work. Automatically, others in the workplace attributed it to his mental illness rather than the flu (which it was). In the scope of things, it seemed to be a rarely minor discrimination, but compounded it could have prevented him from calling in the next time he was sick or made someone else who was there refrain from seeking help for their problems.
     The same website asserts that "people are more likely to call out discrimination directed toward race, religion, sexuality or physical disability than they are mental illness."
     I don't know how long people need to talk about stigma or how much money needs to be directed toward awareness before others actually listen, but I do believe education is the best first step. After taking part in a class on psychosocial dysfunction I realized I stigmatized by jokingly calling someone "crazy" or "off their rocker" and I consider myself to be accepting of others. So how do other people think?
     The New Jersey State Council on Stigma and Mental Illness has an interesting take on what will happen if people advocate for awareness. They use an analogy for cancer treatment as their example:
 Years ago, people believed cancer was contagious and always fatal. Employers refused to hire someone with cancer, insurance companies wouldn't provide proper coverage, and people refused to let their children play in homes where someone had the illness. Stigma and silence prevented funding from going toward research. Then, cancer advocates fought stigma and money was directed to research. People learned it wasn't contagious, insurance and medications improved, many cancers became treatable, and people were educated about lifestyle choices that could decrease cancer formation.
 They believe the same thing can happen with mental illness if we are willing to stand up and speak out.  http://www.state.nj.us/mhstigmacouncil/about/anatomy/
     To show that others are actively trying to promote awareness as well, I am including an interview Gayle King and Charlie Rose did with Pro-bowl football  player Brandon Marshall just three weeks ago. In it, Marshall, who was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder less than a year ago, discusses his need to come forward, address his illness, and encourage others to do the same.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=74http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7401377n&tag=mncol;lst