What do you think about mental illness?

In the Dallas Morning News today, is an entire section on Childhood Diabetes. One of the articles states in the beginning: “Doctors have to call diabetes a disease. You don’t. It’s a physical condition – one you can control. No ity parties if you can read the three previous sentences. Even though there’s no cure for it, this is a diagnosis you can do something about. If you can do for yourself, be proactive and positive.”

What if you took the word diabetes out of the statement and replaced it with mental illness?

“Doctors have to call mental illness a disease. You don’t. It’s a physical condition – one you can control. No pity parties if you can read the three previous sentences. Even though there’s no cure for it, this is a diagnosis you can do something about. If you can do for yourself, be proactive and positive.”

Does this concept offend you? Does it upset you? Do you find it empowering? Is it even a true statement?