DePressMe: I, too, want to extend congrats on everything you have overcome. I come from a relatively weathy family, but my mother had bipolar & was an alcoholic. My father was an alcoholic, too. I was sent away to an exclusive boarding school after my mother committed suicide. I was 15 & started drinking, drugging, etc.

I did attempt to go to college, but I couldn't take the stress (I have bipolar also) & attempted suicide & had to drop out. I do feel inferior to people who have good educations & are not mentally ill. Even though I'm on meds that generally work well, I still have bouts of irrational (even dangerous--ODed last August) behaviors so I really do isolate myself from other people & I get pretty lonely.

I do have one person from my support group that I talk to on the phone occassionally & she really understands as she is biploar, too.

So if you are "passing" as a normal, together young lady you are doing really well & should feel proud of all you've overcome. Despite your mental illness (don't know your dx), you have managed to accomplish a lot--even more than some people who haven't had so many obstacles to overcome. Take care. Study hard.--Suzy P.S. I wouldn't reveal my background to people in general if I were you. People are very judgemental & there is a lot of stigma to being mentally ill & coming from not the best circumstances. That is your private business & I think should only be revealed to those people you really trust--not the general public, especially if you are at one of those "elite" schools where money & prestige can be very important. Not that I think that is right, but it is just the way it is. My daughter went to an "elite" college & had to take a medical leave for a semester due to a bad bout of depression.

The school admin. was great & only put on her records that she took a medical leave, not that it was for psychiatric purposes so she could return without that stigma. She had to pretend she had had a physical ailment.