I think there's still a good deal of stigma about mental illness in relation to teenagers, which I think prevents help from being received early on.
I suppose I am using my family example, but my mother is mentally ill herself and kind of emotionally unavailable, and my grandfather does not take mental illness seriously at all unless you have a "Reason". His reasoning would be a bad traumatic childhood like my mother had. Otherwise you are making things up for attention. Which is EXACTLY how he perceived my mental health crisis I had at 16. Despite being diagnosed with GAD and Depression in my psyche ward stay and outpatient, he believed I did this to manipulate my mother into pitying me. I still have a lot of internal anger about how he does not at all believe I have an anxiety disorder. Every time I have an anxiety problem he is very rude to me, tells me to get over it, I've had a good life. all that jazz. As if buying me things means I have a good life. -_- When I worked at Wal-Mart I felt like my boss did not take my problem very seriously and was too harsh with me when I'd have panic attacks at work. I realize it reduces my productivity but chiding me absolutely does not help in the moment.
Idaho healthcare is absolutely terrible. They offer little in the form of mental health care. My mother can only go visit small scale therapists who do not help with her extensive trauma at all, and because of our budget, we cannot afford specialists. My therapist was one still in training but it is what we could afford since my welfare expansion for my mental health similar to discussed, was only for some group therapy that was all the way in another town. I didn't respond well to group therapy in the ward so I really did not want that. Idaho also has one of the highest suicide rates and I completely understand why after my experience.
I feel like as an adult my mother has come around to me having GAD. But before she would equate my issues to teenage hormones that I would "grow out of" or she would get angry with me for venting to people online. So it has always kind of been an uphill battle for me.
My boss is just completely different. He completely sees my illnesses as valid and takes me seriously when I tell him little things he can do to help prevent it. The panic attack I had at work that day was set off by having too many people asking me questions all at once and not knowing how to handle them all and fearing the unknown which may come as a reaction so I panicked. So he suggested possibly getting me a little pen pad to carry so if someone asks I can write it down so I remember what they asked and what I am looking for. Which is great. And he reminded me if I feel unsure he is right there and I can always tap him, nothing has more importance than helping me help them. XD But that reassurance is something I am absolutely not used to.
My grandfather attributed my symptoms to being one of the following categories:
My depression was an act of attention, so was my bout of self injury.
My anxiety is my lack of preparation. Not trying hard enough. Not working hard enough. Spending too much time on other shit instead of doing what I'm supposed to. If I prepared I wouldn't feel anxious at all... -_- also suggested I used it for attention too.
I don't DARE even bring up PTSD to him, I haven't had a bad life, I can't have that.
My family is American of course. They grew up in West Virginia. Different place in the south. So just giving a perspective there.