The Broken Mental Health Care System

I just watched a video of Demi Lovato speaking at a conference of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She spoke about the broken mental healthcare system in the U.S. I definitely agree that it needs to be fixed. Too often the prejudices of a psychiatrist can lead to prejudice as it did in my case. I do believe that I was suffering from situational depression, and as a result of this I made a feeble attempt at suicide. When I was in the hospital the prejudices had a long-term effect on my life. I was suffering from a short-term disability. I was forced by the hospital to apply for disability before I could be released. I am not saying anything against people with long-term mental illness or people on disability. I am only saying that I would have preferred to return to work and not have to deal with the stigma that is attached to mental illness. This is a stigma that is undeserved. Often people with mental illness are treated by those working in the mental health system as being less intelligent than those without mental illness. I spent time trying to find a job with the help of services attached to the mental health system. They mostly focused on finding people jobs in fast food or other low-paying jobs. I was trying to find something more challenging. I am not saying anything against people working in fast food or low-paying jobs. I am currently working in a low-paying job. I am just using this as another example of how those who have or are thought to have mental illness are treated as being less intelligent or less able to deal with challenges.
Also there are people who are truly mentally ill, but there are people who are considered mentally ill because they think differently from the majority of people. One famous example of the latter is Frances Farmer. At one time homosexuality was considered a form of mental illness. I was raised without being taught how to deal with the outside world. I was not taught how to find a job. This has lead to difficulties, but it does mean that I am unintelligent. It also does not mean that I am mentally ill.
Having had to deal with the deal with the mental health care system and the stigma taught me the importance of standing up for the rights of those with mental illness. Like any other illness, mental illness should not be stigmatized. People with mental illness can live full lives, and they should be treated with the love and dignity that we all deserve.