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I think the stigma surrounding mental illness and also the stigma surrounding self-esteem issues or insecurities or just even feeling different is something that doesn't really get enough attention. Everybody struggles with feeling alone or that they are going through something they don't quite understand.

I want to break down some of the stigma associated with mental illness.

It can be difficult for people to talk about it, because there still is that stigma around mental illness. But I would encourage people to do that, because they'll be surprised once they do 'come out' how many other people have had similar experiences.

Mental health needs a great deal of attention. It's the final taboo and it needs to be faced and dealt with.

'Normal' is not clinical, it's not autobiographical, and I don't claim to be objective. It's strictly my perceptions and thoughts about the people that I met and the stories that I heard. It was never meant to be an academic work.

Mental illness is the last frontier. The gay thing is part of everyday life now on a show like 'Modern Family,' but mental illness is still full of stigma. Maybe it is time for that to change.

Being a depressive should not imply danger any more than being a man or even a human should. Mental illness isn't a them/us issue; we are all on the scale somewhere. So we must be very careful to resist ignorance and combat the stigma that leads to dangerous silence.

Psychoanalysts believe that the only 'normal' people are those who cause no trouble either to themselves or anyone else.

I think everyone thinks their family is insane, and every family is insane. There is no real normal.

There's a stigma on the word 'therapy.' People relate it to big problems. That's something we have to change. Going to therapy can be very healthy. It can change the way you see things and treat others.