Personally I find it frustrating when people on the web try to tell those that they have never met that their doctors are full of crap and if they would only try hard enough they could overcome any issue without the aide of doctors, medicine, etc.
Just to be clear, I have been employed one way or another since I was 16 and have never been on any kind of assistance. DH and I are both productive, middle class, law abiding tax payers. However, I do not begrudge people who are on assistance for disability, either physical OR mental, especially after battling mental illness for years.
I have been diagnosed with bi-polar type 2 and OCD, but I did not come to the conclusion that something was wrong because my doctor told me is was so, I KNEW something was wrong long before going to see a doctor. After a failed suicide attempt, recurring and obsessive thoughts of suicide, loads of self destructive behavior, periods of depression where I could barely drag myself out of bed, checking things in the house so often that I had to allow extra time to get places, checking things at work so often that it was effecting my job performance, and having days where I was so anxious and on edge that I could barely breath the entire day and just felt like exploding---THAT was what led me to the conclusion that something was wrong.
Yes, I take meds and am under a doctors care and I'm not ashamed. It does not make me a weak or lesser person. Meds also don't just "fix" it either (I wish they did!). There are "triggers" I have to avoid, relaxation techniques that I practice, and plenty of prayers sent up for a "stable, balanced day."
I think that if you (collective) can just think yourself better that's fantastic. However, just know that this is not going to be possible for everyone and there is NO SHAME in asking for help and no glory in refusing help as far as I'm concerned.
BTW: I have been to multiple "shrinks" and they all knew of my issues at work, and not ONE of them said or even hinted "Well, we'll just give you a doctors note so you can go on disability and don't have to worry about all the anxiety at work." I don't know about our neighbors to the North, but getting disability is NOT that easy in the US.
Nicole, if you know you need help and are under a doctors care, please take the advice of your doctors over that of internet people who don't know you, have never met you, and have no medical expertise.