The stigma attached to mental illness can often make living with and treatment of a mental disorder difficult. When a stigma of mental illness is attached to a person, his or her family may treat them differently and when talking to friends and acquaintances many talk about an individual as suffering from a disorder. This creates a stigma, and a person with a mental disorder may have trouble coping. At other times, the disorder is controlling the person's life, and stigma or not the reality of the situation is the person has a serious mental disorder. So when does a stigma become a nuisance, and when does the disorder and not the stigma take over the person's life? "Mental Illness" will discuss different disorders, laws, as well as treatment of the mentally ill during earlier time periods. Decide for yourself when a stigma is a potential drawback or concern for the mental health of a person with a legitimate disorder.