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I think both Crystal and Sarah bring up very valid points. The idea that many behavioral characteristics seem to be defined as a mental illness after a certain point is an interesting one to me. Obviously, there are a certain range of symptoms that may be exhibited within the context of a specific mental illness, but as Crystal points out, and I completely agree, the line between "normal" and "abnormal" is often a blurry one. How can we actually distinguish between people who classify themselves as more than tidy, and people who are said to have OCD? How can we distinguish between people who inherently dislike fatty foods and are conscious of their appearance and people that have an "eating disorder"? I think the stigmatization of "mental illness" is both an interesting phenomenon, and an unfortunate one. Conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder are organic disease. Because they are organic, how are they different from any other common ailment? Is it the fear of the unknown/the unclear threshold between "healthy" and "not-healthy" that causes stigmatization?