I believe in the Hunter S. Thompson school of tackling touchy subjects. So are they trying to get you to drop the topic entirely or are they trying to give you a better idea of what the condition is like? If the former, fugouttahere. If the latter, I'd say, "Cool, I can always use the perspective!"

I think if you're going to go after a topic, research it sure, but also there are people who will try to quash anything. I think so long as you make a good faith effort to do a portrayal that isn't some sort of disgusting stereotype, I think you should try to distinguish the source of the criticism and wave off the type that is critical without offering solution.