NAMI-GC College Outreach Program

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• Mental Illness: What You Can Do
  • FAQs
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    • What Family Should Keep in Mind
    • What Friends Should Keep in Mind
    • Coping Strategies for Parents
    • Coping Strategies for Friends
    • Confidentiality Rules & Concerns
    • Basic Facts & Treatment to Remember
  • Self Help
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• About Us
• What Schools Can Do

• Crisis Contacts
• Campus & Community Resources
• Web Resources

Questions about NCCOP? Want to help? Contact nccop@namigc.org.

For more information, referrals, support, and education about serious mental illness, call NAMI of Greater Chicago at (312) 563-0445, or visit the NAMI of Greater Chicago website, namigc.org.

Is there hope? (for persons and/or families affected by mental illness?)

“Absolutely. I believe one of the biggest mistakes people (whether they be those who are ill or their friends/family) can make is to think that once one is affected by a mental health issue, one will always have this ‘condition.’ Because western medicine tends to label and categorize, it can be easy to come to think of oneself or another as ‘being’ depressed/anxious/bipolar/etc. in a permanent way. In fact, it is often possible for the mentally ill to be cured, to cure themselves, or to simply pass through an extremely difficult phase in life. But hope is quite essential for this to happen.”

“YES!”

“Yes.”

“Yes, there is always hope. As the sun shines after a rain storm, yes, there is hope. As laughter follows tears, yes, there is hope. We…see what we want to see. Even the word hopeless itself has hope.”

“There is absolutely hope. Getting discouraged is one of the worst--and most avoidable--obstacles.”

“Yes, there is much hope.”

Want to add your answer? Send an email to nccop@namigc.org.

Want to learn more about the signs and symptoms of mental illness? Go to Signs & Symptoms.

For listings of resources that may be able to help, please visit Campus & Community Resources.