Lake County's Voice On Mental Illness
When do I have a problem and what should I do about it?
What is a mental health issue or a mental illness?
Mental Illness is a reaction to stress that often impacts you in every part of your life. You can be paralyzed to act with depression or uncomfortably manic in ways that disrupt your sleep and affect every aspect of your life. Changes happen biochemically under stressors that really hurt you. There is usually a stressor but genetics and your environment interact create behaviors that get progressively worse across time without some intervention. That recovery process will be unique to you.
Mental Health difficulties can impact people for short periods, episodically across time, or chronically across time. Stress symptoms may include depression, mania, trouble breathing, trouble sleeping, hearing strange voices, or seeing things. It can frighten you and everyone around you.
Some people need medication. Many people do not. Everyone benefits by learning about stress reactions. NAMI offers education classes, ongoing support classes, and current research at the local, state, and national level.
NAMI's specialty programs for persons with mental illness
Signs & Symptoms of an Episode Where You Might Need Help
Signs & Symptoms of an Episode Where You Might Need Help
Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental illness isn't always easy. There's no easy test that can let someone know if there is mental illness or if actions and thoughts might be typical behaviors of a person or the result of a physical illness.
12 Specific Mental Health Conditions
Signs & Symptoms of an Episode Where You Might Need Help
Learning About 12
Specific Mental Health Conditions
Learn specifically about Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Psychosis, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Borderline Personality, and more.
How Do I Sign Up For a Group?
How Do I Sign Up For a Group?
- NAMI Lake County Illinois- offers monthly educational meetings. Just show up!
- NAMI Lake County Groups - Call the number on the flyer to talk to the group leader.
- For virtual NAMI Illinois Groups - click the sign-up link below:
NAMI National Warmlines
How Do I Sign Up For a Group?
Warmlines are places to call and talk to experienced Peer Counselors who are far along in their recovery and can offer hope, secrets to their success, and be someone to talk to. Here is a list of them from across the country.
Comprehensive Recovery- Managing Health: Mentally & Physically - Resources
NAMI Hearts+Minds courses will offer education and resources to help participants better manage mental and physical health conditions, medications, and how to use nutrition and physical activity as a treatment tool. Upcoming events include dedicated NAMI Ask the Expert webinars, as well as peer wellness initiatives.
Help Police Learn About MH
NAMI Sharing Your Story with Law Enforcement (SYSLE) is a presentation program that prepares individuals and family members to share their stories of lived experience with mental illness to a law enforcement audience, such as during Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, or other events where mental illness and related topics are featured.
Our Groups: Mental Health Education, Ongoing Support
Learn about mental illness and recovery.
is a free, eight-session educational program for adults with mental health conditions who are looking to better understand themselves and their recovery. Taught by trained leaders with lived experience, this program includes activities, discussions and informative videos.
Keep using ongoing support.
is an ongoing support group for people with mental health conditions. Groups meet weekly, every other week or monthly, depending on location. This program is also available in Spanish, NAMI Conexión. Find the NAMI Connection support group nearest you
Teach Other People
Teach Other People
Once you are doing well, you may have the ability to explain to other persons, other families, other people, and even State Legislators about the importance of getting help to individuals and their families coping with stress and creating helpful responses to people experiencing symptoms of a mental illness. You can t
Once you are doing well, you may have the ability to explain to other persons, other families, other people, and even State Legislators about the importance of getting help to individuals and their families coping with stress and creating helpful responses to people experiencing symptoms of a mental illness. You can teach people that recovery is a slow but hopeful process and that individuals live in the community and successfully managing their illness. You can help other learn to identify the illness, get the support they need, and to assist any family member in creating a supportive community for all.
Helping You or a Friend During a Crisis
NAMI Help and Crisis Web Page:
https://www.nami.org/help#crisis
Crisis Text Line
www.crisistextline.org
A volunteer-staffed text helpline for those in crisis.
Text START to 741741.