Is "Society" Taking the Wrong Approach Toward Depression?

Is society taking the wrong approach regarding depression? That is an ambiguous and confusing question and needs some clarification. Is the question implying that society has a dismissive and/or impatient stance toward depression and issues surrounding mental health in general? Is it a "non-question" question - by which I mean more is stated than asked in the question - and I might allege that the question is baiting a diatribe against the use of medication.

I am ill-qualified to answer a question that asks for a perspective more appropriately, or at least more likely, held by a professional sociologist or public health researcher. So, I am not going to speak to the broad strokes one would have to take and then dissect to thoroughly and adequately present all of the relevant issues to the question.

I will say this. I am NOT going to bite into the debate that this question begs to instigate. Frankly, I am too biased and emotionally loaded for bear as I attempt to organize my thoughts in preparation for, and to enable a literate and at the same time genuine testimony to the subject of mental health, and the sometimes unbearable misunderstanding and all of the consequences resulting from such misunderstanding of mood disorders, and the judgements often put upon those who suffer from them.

I count myself among and within that group of so judged and misunderstood. This is not a pity plea - I have better things to do with my writing time than to whine to an audience looking for information and good writing, and not the stuff of self-help chat rooms, newsgroups and discussion boards. But, I include my own disposition in the interest of full disclosure.