People with other disabling illnesses need help coping, but people recovering from mental illnesses can cope on their own. Physical therapy often fills this role after physical illnesses. In the same way, social rehabilitation is an important part of the recovery process for people with mental illnesses. Individuals with persistent mental illnesses often feel isolated and rejected. This makes it hard for many of them to get back into society without help.
Some people first become mentally ill in their teens or early twenties.
Their illness can interrupt their education, making it that much more difficult for them to earn a living later in life. Since mentally disturbed young people have difficulty relating to others, their family and friendship connections may be disrupted and their self-esteem seriously, and often permanently, damaged. For all these reasons, people recovering from mental illnesses usually need extra encouragement and support to live their lives successfully. People who have recovered from a mental illness, or who are being treated, cannot work successfully at a job. Well known political leaders, artists, and many others have achieved greatness despite the handicap of a mental illness.