It isn't too bad these days, Especially when compared to the past... However it is still a problem, most people don't understand mental health issues because frankly they are difficult to comprehend. Even if you take the 'common cold' of mental illness - Depression. The potential causes are as varied as the treatments, which is a freaking lot. From personal experience you cannot* know what depression is like until you've had it yourself. Words and phrases might explain it a little but that is a world away from experiencing it yourself. Hell, a few years ago I used to think people with depression could and should just pull themselves together. Life kicked me hard for that one. So when you get a complex illness and add to it the centuries of fear, misunderstanding and stigma it's not hard to see why many people in society aren't very sympathetic/understanding. Things are changing though, better awareness and education about mental health is making a difference. Perhaps not too long in the future most people will be able to discuss it in the same way that they would Arthritis or Asthma. As long as everyone who is aware of it continues to educate and inform the people they know, they don't have to get out a freaking powerpoint, I just mean challenging any bullshit that someone says ie Suicide is for the Weak or People with Depression just need to smile more. I'll leave it at that or I'll get going into a full blown essay on this stuff....

It's kind of like abortion. People have distinctly different opinions on it, and no one wants to get into an argument about it unless they just feel like it.

Truthfully mental health is the problem to most of the U.S. and worlds problems. Just we don't know how to affectingly treat it completely yet because o so many people that are affected.

because people are afraid of things they don't understand

Because its a subject that puts people out of their comfort zones and everyone is about comfort and pleasure these days.

Speaking from a fairly well qualified standpoint as someone who has long personal and family histories of mental illness, I'd say you're exaggerating slightly. The biggest problem is still ignorance, though. People think it's all in your head and you can just snap out of it... Which is true, to an extent, but [i]not[/i].

Get over your autism OP.

Yup.