When ought we disclose mental illness?

That's a question I'm not really sure how
to answer becaue there appears to be
wide disagreement on exactly what constitutes
mental illness. Behaviour that might seem disturbed
in one context (like talking to oneself, or losing
one's temper) might appear acceptable or
understandable in another.

To complicate matters, many mental disorders have no
known physical cause or definitive symptoms.
This means that there is rarely a simple, clinical
test to determine if and how someone is mentally
disordered.

I guess the decision then depends on the opinions of
trained observers (professionals) - who frequently
disagree among themselves.

Which is a concern considering that there are many people
who don't try to get professional help and who do suffer
from severe anxiety and depression.

Perhaps the recent suicides of people like Robin
Williams and Charlotte Dawson could have been prevented.
Who knows.

recent suicides of people like Robin Williams and Charlotte Dawson
Foxy,
I wouldn't describe Robin williams as having been mentally ill at all. He could see that his quality of life was going down the tube & he simply prevented himself from that suffering. If anything I'd say he was mre sane than most when he made that decision.
As for Charlotte Dawson my guess is that either she knew that there was no way out as in Williams's case or she couldn't accept that glamour only has a short lifespan.
Neither are remotely related to mental illness.

Dear Individual,

I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting
that you really believe what you just posted.

Foxy,
By rights, sooner or later you should come to realise the futility of trying to drag me down to your level of mentality. Unlike you et al I'm working on making our society better than it is now & one way of doing that is to expose the poor mentality of those who'd sell their mother to appease those who can't or don't care.

Not all that long ago, shell shocked soldiers, would have been accused of cowardice in the face of the enemy, or just bone lazy malingers!
Now we know and understand, every human being extant on the planet, has a very finite limit, to the amount of trauma, he or she can safely tolerate!
Hence we see really stupid acts of apparent bravery/sheer unadulterated guts, where someone completely out of their cotton picking skull, charges an enemy machine gun nest etc!
Or calls down, shell fire on their own position; or succumbs to the battered wife syndrome, and sticks a carving knife in a deadbeat husband's gizzard!?
Today we recognize most of that as post stress trauma, and indeed, how to help mend a broken mind. Assisted by daily meditation perhaps?
Sir Winston Churchill, wrestled every day of his life with the black dog, or depression.
I don't know how he dealt with it, but I do know one technique that might help.
And that is to treat the voices in your head, telling you to quit, to just give up, cease trying, as if you had been possessed by an alien being, who's only mission in life, was to get you to destroy yourself, and having accepted that; argue with it, and beat it, with sheer logic.
Little wonder the Churchill family motto was, never give up, never give up, never give up!
Today, we can do far better than that, and understand the brain is an organ, just like a heart, lung or liver is, and just like these other organs, can become ill, sick, diseased or injured.
And with that understanding, use an increasing arsenal of drugs and or remedies, to successfully treat the illness/injury!
Sometimes that's as simple as replacing a missing chemical, that's normally part of the brain physiology.
Some people think that mental illness is all in the mind!
Or, if someone thinks they need a psychiatrist, they should have their heads examined!
Rhrosty.

I'm appalled by some comments I have read on here. After revealing my life-long disorder at age 45, suddenly I was considered potentially violent, deluded and a liar. My history of serving others was suddenly irrelevant, my personality of consideration and truth dismissed. I class my honesty about my condition as one of the greatest mistakes I have made in life, as I sought relief for an affliction that cannot be seen and therefore considered phantom by others who are fortunate not to suffer it. People like Robin Williams and Char Dawson took the step they believed would banish the demon, it was a final act of desperation. Telling someone to "get over it" is an ignorant choice - it may be the last words they bother to hear. Attitudes like diver dans do not help.