Should the fear of being labelled and brandished and having a stigma make you think twice about pursuing help?

You should never worry about what others think of you, YOU are the one that is important. If people judge you, based on the hand you have been dealt, then they are not, and never were your friends. There are many shallow people in the world, and phsyciatric information is totally privat, and cannot be used against you in employment. You can say you have gone to a therapist, etc, but you do not ever have to reveal why. There are privacy laws that prevent personal information from being revealed to anyone. Because of the anonymity here, no one will ever be able to place you with a potential job, or anything else, as you could be one of a million people seeking friendship and help here. Go get the help you need and deserve, you are a young man with the whole world to conquer, go get it and stop worrying about what others will think. Unless they are paying your rent, buying your cloths, feeding you, taking care of you, tell them to go to hell and even then, they have to learn that you are your own person and demand respect for who you are,wether they like it or not