Let me start out just by saying that I am more than happy that mental illness can be a topic of discussion, more so than it used to be. I am more than happy of our advances in treatment. I am more than happy that I will not be thrown in an institution because I have a mild delusion (or even reading a book!). I can be treated, not cured, but made as comfortable as possible.
I will tell you that I am not happy at all that mental illness can not be (or seems to not be) discussed with some sort of logic, intelligence, or research-based facts.

Here’s why the stigma is getting worse (than it used to be only three years ago)

First: Self-diagnosis

One of the reasons why this stigma is getting a bit worse is because as soon as someone feels the slightest of depression, they self diagnose and feel this need to lump themselves together with a group and outwardly say "I have depression" for attention. Some people DO this. It's a reality. It's disgusting. And it makes it worse for us. Wanting to belong to a group, wanting to have a purpose in life is one reason this happens. I can't blame them for that. It's only natural to want to belong and have a purpose. Now, the people that do this are either extremely naive, ignorant (not stupid, ignorant), or feel that they're so boring they need to make themselves different. In the worst possible way. Because we all KNOW that a mental illness is a sickness that is awful, and can only be treated. It is not to be taken lightly. In some cases, in reality, it's life threatening.

It's very dangerous to self-diagnose. Extremely dangerous. There are so many doctors who are pill happy and prescribe anyone Effexor if they come into the office crying. This has happened to me before. I threw that shit in the trash. Tried it years ago, didn't work then, won't work now. And I had told the doctor this. He's still pill happy, and due to insurance blah blah blah, for now I'm stuck with him. (But I’m going to dump his ass as soon as I can).
When you self-diagnose, go to the doctor, tell them you have depression or whatever (most) will take you at face value and when someone with "normal" (no one is normal) brain chemistry an antidepressant, antipsychotic, whatever, their brain chemicals change and then they actually develop symptoms of whatever they're claiming to have. Although it may or may not be full-blown, they'll try everything under the sun and wonder why they're getting worse. Actually worse. 
We've all had the experience of trying pill after pill, but it's trial and error. Although I have my extreme ups and downs, I feel confident that I'm on the right dosage of the right medication, and it's as good as it'll get. That's all we can hope for: as good as it can get. 
Those who actually do start to experience depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, whatever it may be, are not taken seriously. They may sincerely ask for help over social media and people think "oh they're craving immediate attention". Or "oh me too. good for you". (YES. I HAVE SEEN "GOOD FOR YOU" It's disgusting). 
Everyone. Everyone. EVERYONE has experienced a trauma, a slump, an up in their lives, and if they haven't they will. It's called life. It's called being human. It's only clinical if it meets criteria. Not just symptom criteria, but a timeline criteria as well. And you know, for some people, some temporary therapy may work. It may help them feel better, rather than getting on a pill. (I said for some people). I actually encourage EVERYONE to have a therapy session, even if they’re healthy, at least once a year. And I encourage anyone who is questioning whether something is medically wrong to get evaluated. Because like I said, it's not to be taken lightly.

Second: TRIGGERED!!

The psychological term "triggered" has been raped, for lack of better words, by these so-called Social Justice Warriors (SJWs) who don't seem to notice the difference between the words triggered and offended.
 "[insert absurd joke they perceive as misogynist, racist, whatever]"
"That triggers me". 
No. It offends you. 

I have bipolar disorder, yes. I'm discussing this on a bipolar board. I was also diagnosed with PTSD about a year and a half ago. When I noticed what I thought was a mixed episode wasn't getting any better, I sought out treatment. 4 months worth of mixed state-like symptoms, but this time it was more than those usual symptoms. I was experiencing more and more seemed like each day. "this is new. this sucks". "well, this is new, this sucks". 
What I'm getting at is that I'm afraid, and even refuse to tell someone if I have a trigger. I'll just let it go on and accept whatever panic attack, flashback, whatever it may be that I get. I'd rather suffer than to tell someone "Hey, can we change the station? This song is a trigger for me." That, my friends, is sad. And I know damn well I'm not alone on this one.

A trigger is defined (by psychcentral.com, article written by U. of Alberta, Sexual Assault Centre) as "… something that sets off a memory tape or flashback transporting the person back to the event of her/his original trauma." 

Now, I think this is very easy to understand. All of us on here know what a trigger really is. But SJW's use this term "trigger" as a means of telling someone that they are OFFENDED. (Or they'll just call them a misogynistic Nazi).
To quote Inigo Montoya from "The Princess Bride": “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”  Trigger is one in the same as being offended to SJWs. An extremely simple google search gives the incredibly easy to understand definition of "offended" as: "resentful or annoyed, typically as a result of a perceived insult." 
I am OFFENDED when someone says something blatantly racist about my best friend. I am OFFENDED when someone is rude to a waiter. I am OFFENDED when someone uses "this triggers me" when they mean they are OFFENDED. Why do I find this OFFENSIVE? Because like I said, they have taken that word and twisted it to the point of a complete disrespect and misunderstanding. When people use this word completely wrong, I am NOT TRIGGERED. I am OFFENDED.
The smell of burning rubber can sometimes trigger me. The song "Somewhere over the rainbow" can trigger me. Black socks can sometimes trigger me. 
You know that little thingie on guns called triggers? This is called a trigger because it sets off the firing mechanism. The bullet comes out, it can be damaging if it hits someone. (Or fun if it's a hobby and you're shooting watermelons.)

Third: Hollow Activism

Activism IS important. It is. But when it gets to the point when it's hollow, it just gets annoying and people get turned off. Activism is nothing without EDUCATION. 
Should there be activists? Of course! But these activists should also be educators. That's what I mean when I say it gets "hollow". There's no substance behind why activists do what they do. There's no real education. There's no statistics, there's no science, there's no reference to reading materials, ect. No facts. Nothing other than yelling things over and over like a broken record and just plainly annoy people. Then people just ignore them. When someone annoys you, don’t you end up ignore them, avoiding conversations with them, and avoiding contact with them completely? I know I do.
 
And don't get me wrong: I'm quite sure there are activists who also educate. Let me say this again for the people in the back. I AM QUITE SURE THERE ARE ACTIVISTS WHO ALSO EDUCATE. I applaud these people. They aren't broken records, they're interesting, educated people who know their shit and want to spread information and not JUST awareness. Myself, along with the rest of the world, are AWARE of mental illness, but does everyone know that:
 “The mood disorders (depression and bipolar manic-depression) are by far the most common psychiatric conditions associated with suicide. At least 25% to 50% of patients with bipolar disorder also attempt suicide at least once."? (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10826661) I'm not sure if they do, unless someone tells them and backs it up. 
I mean, this is just one example of countless examples of some schooling. ("I'm ‘bout to school ya’ll"!) 

Fourth: Taking no action

I come across people over social media, and face-to-face in the real world who complain about feeling awful constantly. I have friends come to me and ask me questions, I try to answer them the best I can. If it's beyond me (I'm not a therapist or a doctor), I recommend they seek help immediately. Or at least on their next day off, instead of laying in the dark sobbing, go to your local comprehensive care and at least get in with a therapist. If you're feeling suicidal, go to the hospital. If you're seeing things, hearing things, having thoughts that race so fast that you can't get any work done, go to a doctor.
When you have some physical ailment, the flu, a sinus infection, you fell and hurt yourself, people usually go to a doctor. You get advice, an antibiotic, a referral for an X-ray, whatever it may be. So what is the difference between feeling depressed for a month and seeing a doctor? I'll tell you: either A) the person is unsure if it's severe enough to seek out medical attention. This I can understand. This is something the person asks a friend, and the friend tells them to get help. B) insurance. (god damn that insurance) However, there are resources available out there for those who can’t afford it, don’t have it, ect. It sucks to have to fight for medical care, but if people who can’t get help because of this, there IS hope and recourses available. (Comprehensive care has worked with me before so I could afford to see a doctor when I had no insurance.) C) They LIKE being miserable. Yes. These people exist. I call them "professional victims". 
Professional victims. I don't understand them. I really don't. 
Two professional victims immediately come to my mind: a "friend" of mine, and my mother. My "friend" (I can't stand her, but she still has a place in my heart) will, seems like constantly message me "I'm suicidal because...", or "I guess I'll just die...", and it's always over the most trivial things. Things that happen to everyone. I don't know how many times I have BEGGED her to go to the hospital. BEGGED her to go to a doctor. BEGGED her to go to therapy. She's done this so many times that at this point she's crying wolf. (She’s even used the excuse “I have to get my hair done tomorrow”) Insurance is an issue as well. (Is it? I honestly don’t know…) If insurance IS a problem, I have given her idea after idea, resource, after resource, phone numbers after phone numbers to help. It’s getting to the point where I just ignore her. Or I’ll just feel like I’m supposed to be an echo chamber. Or simply feel bad for her constantly. That's sad, my friends. And if there comes a day when she actually does commit suicide, I honestly don't know how I'll feel because she's threatened it so many times. And I've given her the best advice anyone can give someone who is suicidal. I don't know if I'll feel bad, I don't know if I'll just shrug my shoulders, I just don't know. Again. That is sad, my friends.

My mother is also a professional victim. But her story is a bit different. She's 60 going on 16 and does nothing but damage. (She’s also a very toxic person). She comes to me complaining about the bed she made and has to lie in. I tell her, I've told her, I've preached to her: "Mother, please go get some therapy" and "Mother please, please go see a doctor. There's something wrong, I'm concerned." But she won't. She loves misery.

Do you know people like this? I’m sure you do. And I’m sure you’ve talked to them. I’m sure you’ve given them advice. I’m sure you’ve given them tons of ideas, even simple suggestions. But it’s like they don’t even hear you, believe you, or care that you care enough to talk to them. It’s disrespectful, honestly.

Let me give you an example of someone who is not a professional victim, but rather a VICTOR:
A friend messaged me that he "sees no way out but death" one night. That he’s been feeling A, B, C, and D for nearly a month and it keeps getting worse. This was alarming because I knew him as the most straight-laced, good-head-on-his-shoulders, rational people I've ever met. I never knew he was suffering this horribly. I'm so thankful that he said something. I told him "this is beyond me. Please pack some pajamas and go to your local ER." He was reluctant at first, but I had to get firm (and rational) with this guy. The next message I got was "I'm in the parking lot at [local hospital name]. Do I go straight to the ER, or should I go to the front desk and talk to them?" I told him go to the ER.
Three days later I get the message "THANK YOU for saving my life. I got a doctor, I got a therapist, I got an after-care plan..." I told him plain and simple "I didn't save your life. YOU saved YOUR life. And I couldn't be more proud of you. Because that takes major balls."
And I meant it. I cried I was so happy for him. I was so proud of him. I still am. This guy has never had any experience with any sort of mental problem. He didn't even know that depression ran in his family. 
He knew nothing, but did something. He asks questions. He reads. Plain and simple: he is a professional victor. He is now one of my personal heroes. I mean that. 

Conclusion:

If you made it to the end of this, thank you for your time. And I hope my words don't get twisted. I hope google doesn't see this and delete it (because they're doing this). Any idea that opposes the opinions of the masses is censored, and I welcome freedom of speech and condemn censorship. I hope that people don't consider this "hateful". Because it isn't. Not at all. (What ISN'T hate speech anymore? But that's another book). 

I also feel sorry for these people who self diagnose (it’s dangerous), use the word "trigger" when they're offended (that in itself is offensive, disrespectful, and ignorant), activists who shout hollow words (they’re annoying but think they’re doing good), and professional victims (because they’re just stupid. Sorry).

These people are not just making the stigma worse, they're making themselves even more miserable. The people who love misery don't care, but I do. Believe it or not, I love everyone, and I want everyone to receive quality care if needed, and I'd love for everyone to know at least a LITTLE about mental illness. At least know that it can happen to anyone. Know the signs. Know when to get help. Know that self diagnosis is dangerous.

I APPLAUD and highly respect those who ask questions when they need help and do something to help themselves start to live a life worth living. Like you guys on here. You ask questions, you got help, you give others advice and It takes balls. My heroes.

Thank you for your time.

P.s. Let people who "just can't" because they're "triggered" know that they are offended. Please?