Disclosing Mental Health Experiences

I'm curious as to how, in a mental health environment, we can discuss and disclose a mental health experience while also encompassing professionalism. The idea of professionalism is, to me, a facade of protection we have developed which controls the natural expression of our humanity. To be able to express openly a mental health experience, we need to inhabit our humanity fully. This is a deeply personal experience, and when trying to reconcile this with professionalism, it brings up unique challenges. I return to humanity at this point. Why, when I sit in a group of professionals and honor my mental health experience by talking about it openly, do I sense that others are there in that same setting and potentially not disclosing their experiences? We have a concept in societal norms called 'privacy,' but where does 'privacy' stop and shame and fear begin? How can we discuss such a deeply personal experience while honoring others' comfort zones and at the same time dispelling some of this shame and fear around our experience? How can we be more open about our experiences without fear of judgment? I feel like not talking about it is ultimately more stigmatizing than talking about it, but others might not agree. How can we hope to remove stigma without being able to talk about this subject matter openly? We are all humans having a human experience when all is said and done. Does it truly matter if my or your experience is different from someone else's? I believe what truly matters is connection and co-creation. Let's leave our judgmental standpoints behind and let's embrace a little more vulnerability in our lives.