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.

I have been diagnosed with a mental illness…now what?

To be diagnosed with a mental illness, a mental health professional needs to speak to you and assess your symptoms. If you suspect you have symptoms of a mental illness but have not yet seen a mental health professional, please go to one as soon as possible. Use your worry or concern as a cue that you have valid feelings that deserve to be talked about with an expert on that aspect of your health.

If you have been diagnosed with a mental illness, know that you are not alone, that there is hope, and that you are more than your diagnosis. While many mental illnesses are chronic, lifelong conditions, they can be managed and treated very effectively with the proper support and sometimes medication.

Make sure you are comfortable with the professional you are meeting with, and continue seeing a mental health professional, even if it doesn’t seem to be helping at first. Finding the right professional, treatment plan, and medications to help you with this chronic illness may take some time, and being patient with yourself and others, as well as being informed, can help you as you recover. You are entitled to ask plenty of questions about your diagnosis, what treatment plan the mental health professional has, and if you are prescribed medication, what the side effects and stipulations of taking this medication are.

A symptom of many mental illnesses is “agnosia”—a person with an illness has a lack of insight into the fact that they are ill and in need of help. This can be frustrating as someone who understands they have bipolar disorder, for example, may stop taking their medication and seeking treatment once they start to experience symptoms of mania, including agnosia. It’s important to find a treatment plan that works for you and stick with it, listening to the insight and advice of mental health professionals working to help you. Sharing your concerns with family members and friends can help them be advocates for you during harder times, or moments when your illness relapses, or times when you may be experiencing agnosia.

If you are concerned about what might happen to you if you become very ill, consider filling out a Treatment Declaration Form. This form can help your parents, friends, and doctors better understand what types of treatment you would like to receive in various situations.

Getting support from others who are going through or have gone through what you’re experiencing can be powerful and a huge source of help and insight. Consider going to local support groups on your campus or in the community.

For more information and advice from others who may have gone through what you’re going through, go to Self Help.