If you are not familiar with NAMI, NAMI is a US based organization that has been in existence since 1979 and is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals impacted by mental illness.  With this said, if  your family is impacted by mental illness, NAMI’s website provides useful information that you may want to look at.   Their website addresses a broad spectrum of mental health categories and provides a list of web related resources for each of those categories.   These categories are

• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Dissociative Disorders
• Dual Diagnosis and Integrated Treatment of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Disorder
• Eating Disorders
• Major Depression
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Schizoaffective Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Suicide
• Tourette’s Syndrome

Although other types of disorders appear not to be addressed as fully, you may still find information on these subjects (e.g. using their search feature I found information on Generalized Anxiety Disorder even though it was not specifically listed).  In addition, they list support groups, give you information on specific medications, have a legislative action center, etc.

Selected facts that I believe impact us as parents that NAMI provides include:

(see http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Inform_Yourself/About_Mental_Illness/About_Mental_Illness.htm for a complete list)

• ….The U.S. Surgeon General reports that 10 percent of children and adolescents in the United States suffer from serious emotional and mental disorders that cause significant functional impairment in their day-to-day lives at home, in school and with peers.
• The best treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective; between 70 and 90 percent of individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports.
• With appropriate effective medication and a wide range of services tailored to their needs, most people who live with serious mental illnesses can significantly reduce the impact of their illness and find a satisfying measure of achievement and independence. A key concept is to develop expertise in developing strategies to manage the illness process.
• Early identification and treatment is of vital importance; By ensuring access to the treatment and recovery supports that are proven effective, recovery is accelerated and the further harm related to the course of illness is minimized……

I think these offer hope.  For many, it’s easy to choose not take action and hope that your teen/child will improve with the passage of time.  Based on this data it appears that statistically being informed and taking action may be the right decision.

With all of this said, my hope is that this resource supports you as you support your family.