While even an aware and sensitive person might use the phrase "need(s) help," the stigma has already kicked in. When one goes to receive medical care, one doesn't refer to it as "getting help."
While you are correct about the phrase 'needs help' its actually a sign of a deeper western problem in that we see ourselves as completely independent entities when in fact we are not. It's even worse here in North America where we have wrapped ourselves in a myth that 'our' pioneer forefathers were completely self reliant when the complete opposite is true: pioneers were much more reliant on their community than we are today.
When you and I break an arm, we do indeed 'need help'. I have no clue how to set a bone properly. Yet somehow we have come to the strange conclusion that going to the doctor is not getting help.
The perception with mental health, is that the whole person is broken, when in most cases, there is no break at all, even in the parts.
I agree with you on the first point, but not the second. When some part of the mind starts functioning 'out of spec' something is broken even if we can't see it.
We are finally able to measure the electrical manifestations of depression to see that parts of the brain are no longer functioning properly. Call it a sprain if you don't like the term broken, but something is clearly no longer working properly.
Point is, depression is much like other things that afflict us complete with physical (albeit not so obvious) manifestations.
Now I have to devote more work/time/effort on the entire ball of puke than I would have had I been more, well, lots of things.
Hey, shit happens. Sometimes we catch it, sometimes we don't. Hindsight has to be the most useless human 'skill' there is.
OK, the pedant in me is done for tonight.
