This paper researches the reciprocal relationship between individuals with a diagnosed mental illness and their families. I interviewed fourteen college students who were diagnosed with depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder and asked them about their relationships with their families. I used a symbolic interactionist perspective to interpret the social construction of mental illness. I found that individuals who were not the only family member diagnosed with a mental illness defined mental illness as a normalized object. As a result, these individuals had a higher perceived sense of self and higher self-esteem. However, individuals who were the only family member diagnosed defined mental illness as an abnormality and therefore, the individuals sense of self was lower.