Mental illnesses are serious, physical disorders that may have a devastating effect on the lives of people as well as the lives of their family and friends. But there is always hope for the future. People with mental illnesses can recover and lead full, satisfying lives. NAMI has created this place for you to learn about mental illness. My name is Melanie Dryer, and I'm here to help you find answers to your questions about mental illness. We've pulled together tools to help you deal with difficult times and provide you with the information you need to navigate a sometimes overwhelming mental health system. There are several ways to use this site to find the information you need. You can choose from our list of topics, or you can type in a question of your own. However you decide to start your search, we'll suggest more questions that are related to that topic so that you can find all the information you need on the subjects that interest you. Occasionally, throughout the interview, we'll mention a form, a link to outside information, or other commonly used aides that you can find in our Tools section.