NAMI-GC College Outreach Program

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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.

If I or someone I know is experiencing symptoms of mental illness, is it “just a phase?”

This a tricky question, as many symptoms of mental illness are chronic, but come and go, sometimes cyclically. Thus, an episode of depression can seem like “just a phase,” however, it did impair that person’s daily functioning, and it can return.

Look over the various mental illness fact sheets on Signs & Symptoms. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, even as a result of a specific event or situation (for example, you're depressed after your grandmother’s death), and you or they are having a hard time coping on their own, speaking to a mental health professional can only help.

It is also important to know that while a person may experience only one episode of a mental disorder in their life—a time when they had some panic attacks, or were depressed, for example—that the likelihood that they will experience another episode becomes much greater. Most mental illnesses are chronic and cyclical in nature. Becoming educated and speaking to a mental health professional as soon as you are concerned as the best ways to ensure that you or the person receives proper treatment to manage these symptoms not only now, but also in the future.

It also important to remember that even if it is “just a phase,” getting help is erring on the side of safety and caution—when a mental illness goes untreated, its symptoms get worse, and the ways that changes in thoughts, moods, and behaviors can affect a person’s life—including school, relationships, life choices—can be great.