Is the mental health stigma still alive and well in 2016?

Yes. There is no way anyone in the military wants to work with someone who is considered to be in need of mental help. They can encourage you to seek help all they want, but the moment you do, they want you to disappear and become someone else's problem.

YES. I really hate myself because I do have mental health issues and I feel ashamed for having to admit I do to anyone else. I would rather stay home and hide instead of explain my actions at times.

As a leader, I find it difficult to look a soldier in the eye and tell them that there will be no ill effects from them seeking help for behavioral issues. Once this is on the record it follows them for the rest of their career.

I want all soldiers to get the help they need, but the services need to realize that we will have SM who have these issues. These Soldiers can be fully functional and should not be discarded.

Yes it is no matter what the military and propaganda videos say.

If the person has emotional problems, they need to be helped not hindered, this can led to deep hate and possible retaliation against others.

Yes. You can't change a mass number of people's minds about a stereotype. Veterans of OIF and OEF are often thought to be murderers and thieves: we stole stuff and killed people without provocation while we were deployed. They are narrow-minded and ignorant. I've had people 'judge' me just because they found out I was a Veteran (Medic). A whole attitude change. It's sad to see how people can be.

Yes

I tell my Soldiers all the time that we are all fallible. Some just hide their problems better than others. The stigma will always exist largely due to privacy issues. The majority don't want to broadcast or for others to know their issues. I have seen people of all ranks with mental health or character issues. You are not alone if seeking help and all of us should be self aware about our flaws as it gives us empathy for those in need.

There is a stigma and also the Feds through SSDI don't consider it as fibula tatting as a physical injury/disease. SSDI benefits and those from private disability insurers a minimal compared to physical injury/disease. Also look at the trends on restricting 2nd amendment rights if you have a mental illness. Lastly, mental illness is not always visible and people who don't understand it fail to realize how it can limit a person.