[Emster]

I had to take quite a long break from schooling to ensure my medication levels were right and found going back was a daunting experience.

What level of education do you all have? Did you find your illness affected any part of it?

Thanks in advance

[sichi-26]

I got there eventually, but I think it probably took a lot longer than most people. I finished school, with a struggle, but did it. Then it took me about 8 years to get a Bachelor's Degree, when it should take 3, because I stopped and started it all the time due to a whole number of reasons, depression, impulse decisions, etc etc. And most recently I got a Masters Degree, but was extremely depressed in the middle of it. I was diagnosed with Bipolar at this time, and started taking meds, which helped. It definitely wasn't easy, and involved days of questioning, and crying, and erratic behaviour. But, I did it. For me, I realize that the other option is becoming bored or not making a contribution in my work or life. And that makes me even more unwell! I need to have these objectives and little 'missions' to keep me on track. If you're thinking about pursuing an education, I would definitely say go for it. It opens our minds and it opens up the world. Maybe it can lead you to an opportunity or a person or a place that changes your life or direction for the better. And knowledge is power after all, nobody can take it away from you. Best wishes.

[buzz bee]

Growing up in elm, middle, and high school it affected me.

When I was in college I did pretty good. I did not get my degree because the job I was in paid for college and I couldnt keep the job. My bipolar was really bad and I was not under treatment yet. let alone know I was bipolar. If I was medicated I really think I would have finished.

[wildflowerchild25]

My bipolar was in remission or at least manageable when I was in college so I was able to finish without any problem. The only time I almost lost it was right after my son was born. The sleep deprivation wreaked complete havoc on me. At the time I didn't believe I had bipolar so I was untreated and I definitely had a couple of bad breakdowns but I somehow managed to get past them and finish my student teaching.

I have to go back to school for my special ed certification in the fall and I'm upset by that because I'm so unstable right now I have no idea how I'm going to manage. But it's that or lose my job.

[Victoria'smom]

I was one of those "she has great potential but she's not doing anything with it." Kids. By middle school I discovered the awesomeness of in school suspension. From that day on getting ISS was my goal. In ISS I could do my work at my own pace and I didn't have to deal with people. The funniest part of that is I discovered that because I was wrongly accused of smoking in the bathroom. I refused to tell them what I was doing ( purging) so I got ISS . I spent my 10th grade year completely plastered even drinking at school before I dropped out of school and went to GED.

In my state you had to go to classes so many house before you can try for the GED. Well the program was run by a therapist and there was a drug and alcohol counselor 3x a week. So I had therapy daily for 3 months. I excelled there.

Then I spent 10 years trying and failing to get my associates. I worked really hard each time but each time it became drop classes or hospitalization. If I could I'd still be trying but there's something about school that makes me unstable.

[LacunaCoiler]

I got my first degree in biology in 5 year and afterwards I taught for 2 and goofed off for another year before going back. I did about a year, year and half before I had a major episode that had a suicide attempt which lead to almost getting hospitalized and I haven't been back since. I want to go but I can't get past the anxiety I get when I just think about going back to school.

[haleylaurel]

i've withdrawn from college twice now. i can't ****ing take the stress

[Emster]

Thank you for the responses everyone!
Do you feel not having bipolar would have changed your education outcomes?

[Victoria'smom]

Yes, each time school went "bad" for me I was facing hospitalization.

In college, my symptoms were still just showing as depression, not mania. I did take one semester off from school, but still graduated in 4 1/2 years. So the depression just caused a one semester delay. Not too bad.

[little_bear]

Shortly after I started first grade I did something socially unacceptable and I was shunned from my school. I finally dropped out in 8th grade. When I was 16, I got a GED and started community college. My parents kicked me out of the house, and I had to work full time and support myself. It took me 20 years to get an Associates Degree, but I have an IQ of 250.

[Fresia]

The first time I attempted school in my teens and twenties, my diagnosis was wrong, only treating the depressive side and I struggled so. I was in and out of school, 10 years later and I barely made it to my senior year of a Bachelor's.

20 years after that and finally getting the right diagnosis, which let to help with the right meds and therapy, it still took time, 8 years, but did an Associates and a Bachelor's. I started off slow, going part-time, and alternated some semesters part-time or full-time depending on what was going on in life and with medications adjustments, but finally got through. It was a struggle at times but it helped to have support in place the second time such as: with a pdoc and a T to help along the way; PC was a huge support during various times as well; some people have friends and family as a part of their support network to help them get through; and also, some school's disability services recognize BP as a disability and will provide additional accommodations if need be; if not, some of the professors were very supportive along the way and very understanding when had lapses.

School has its rewards and challenges for everyone, even when nothing is going on. Add to it MH issues, and those challenges compound but makes the rewards even sweeter. If you set your mind to it, you can do it. Go for it.

[r010159]

I did not complete my Electrical Engineering degree due to my illness. I ended up with the easier Mathematics degree. My career has been up and down with the occasional crash ever since then.

[Curiosity77]

I went to an alternative program in high school mostly because i was depressed, but i managed to graduate a little early. But then it took me 6 years to do a 4 year undergrad. I got my masters in a 2 year program, but i was very unstable in the second year. My thesis advisor recommended that i take time off, but i didn't listen to him. I managed to graduate with high marks, but the stress of it made me pretty unwell. I want to go back to get my DNP, which is a kind of PhD, but i don't know if i can handle the stress.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nammu]

Looking back I can see it but at the time I thought I wS just tired, so I got married and dropped out one semester short of graduating with a double major. I had been working full time, had two book clubs and D&D group and another group was in school full time and dating....so looking back that looks like hypo mania.
I was crashing and getting married seemed like an out from all the crazy ness. Nonetheless my marriage was a huge failure as the guy I married was an abuser.

Second question, if I had gotten help when I first seriously considered suicide as a freshman...or in HS....perhaps. The thing is back then they were very big on AD and those cause me big time full out psychic mania. So I just might have gotten on the revolving hospital ride sooner? But I would have avoided the marriage too. So who can say?

I went back in my late forties and making good grades and friends was easy but physically I was falling apart. I was even working as a tutor on campus! But pain kept interfering then I found out my spine was deteriorating. Dealing with that was full time and I couldn't keep on.

So short answer yes my illness interfered drastically followed by physical illness that may have been highly influenced by my years of over prescribed psych meds and homelessness.

[bleutamales]

I could barely finish high school due to panic attacks. I tried to go to community college several times but ended up dropping out because of panic attacks. Too bad prozac had such a bad name back then. It would have helped tons.

[Capriciousness]

I cycled a lot in college and into my grad work. And most of it was not too severe. And fortunately my worst mania brought out this academic ferocity in me because I wanted to finish faster to get this job I thought I really wanted (and later wished I hadn't). So I took a ton of credits over the summer and was kinda nuts. And in general I was fortunate that my hypo brilliance periods sort of made up for my lazy low periods and it all sort of evened itself out. I think I probably would have done better if not for the Bipolar or maybe it would have just turned out the same in the end. I pulled off the BS and the Masters though. As it is it doesn't really matter because I am a stay at home mom (which was my dream anyway ) and I probably will never go to anymore school BECAUSE of the BIpolar. The Bipolar now is too much for anymore school. I do not see it going well at all. I have also pretty much lost that desire. I now have no greater goal than my health and my presence with my family. There is no greater gift than just not being in pain in my life now. I am not sure this is a bad thing. It is what it is.

[Resident Bipolar]

Yes

Sorry. A very sensitive issue for me. Up until the age of 15, I was a very academic and high-achieving student. I was on course to receive As pretty much across the board and the subjects I wasn't achieving an A in, I was achieving A*s (which I think is equivalent to a US A+ but I could be wrong).

I did very well with my coursework and modular examinations and was expected to hit the grades in my end of secondary school exams (GCSEs). Towards the latter half of Year 10 (Year 11 was the year in which main GCSE examinations are taken), my mood took a massive turn for the worse, I began walking out of lessons, skipping school and eventually I was sectioned and was in a bad mood state throughout the entire year that followed. I missed all but two exams which I took in hospital and I only achieved a B in them due to a lack of motivation to study.

Then, when I went on to college (16-18) and I was doing my A-Levels, hypomania and a big obsession with the subjects I was taking helped me excel and gain Distinction (out of Pass, Merit and Distinction) grades on all of the units I completed. Unfortunately, hypomania was followed by a full-blown manic episode with psychotic symptoms and that was then followed by a crippling depression. I didn't sleep for over a week. Not once bit of sleep (except for perhaps micro-sleeps, which I wouldn't have noticed anyway). I was once again hospitalised.

This is why I can boldly and confidently say that Bipolar Disorder ruined my life. It took every little thing away from me. My social life, my education, my employment prospects. Everything. If I could go back in time with the foreknowledge of what illness I had and what could be done to manage it, and have to relive all my school years again (including the bullying) I would.

RB

Question 1: Oh yes.
Came out of high school as part of the triumvirate "ruling" (lol) the smartest kids bunch and having entrance test scores off "99th percentile for college bound". Went to well-known university. Changed majors like socks (haha, not quite). The second one was completely unrelated to the first. For it, I pulled off getting exempted from the entire first year of that program(!) (art) by presenting past work. (In other words, they were going to let me go into sophomore year based on high school work, some of which I'd done in 9th grade. They didn't know THAT, haha!) Cool! Right? Yeah, but dropped out of it a couple weeks in anyway, changing again. It was all quite something and I was having a GREAT time. First semester of 3rd year, it all came to a screeching halt. BOOM! Massive depression out of nowhere. In.ca.pa.ci.ta.ted. For months. Had no idea wtf was happening. There wasn't much in the way of help in those days. Dropped out.

Things got pretty out of hand then.

A decade later, wanted to take another go at it, but realized I'd never stay stable enough to make it through 4 years, so I'd go for a 2 year. (Even with the above realization, I had NO CLUE about bipolar(!) ) Community college, finished first in my major. (Finished! Woo!)

Another decade, popped by a different cc to inquire about a program, got shuttled (sly-talked) into another one (their hardest. On account of "being smart". But I contend dumb, because it expected perfection in everything I am worst at, and had no use whatsoever for the things I am good at! What an idiot. It sent me sui. Toughed it out for a year to not be a "quitter". Hated every f'in second. Boatloads of ideation. See, dumb. Agreed?)

Following year switched gears completely into a MUCH more suitable program (hey, whaddya know, an art again….) Even told I was the most creative person ever to go through that major(!) (And not by someone on the make, lol). But I didn't finish. Spread the classes out over a few years, took nearly all of them, but didn't care about that one part, so blew it off. Worked doing it independently as a side job.

AFTER all this, found out I had BP.

Question 2: No doubt.
I don't know which major it would've ended up to be in, but I totally could have finished on the first round. I had no trouble with the coursework. I know my story isn't exactly encouraging (ya think?!), BUT! It is MUCH different today! Accommodations, less stigma, more resources. Just knowing you have BP is a huge help! You can structure things accordingly, spread classes out or whatever. Heck, just knowing it's cyclical!

I was in COMPLETE ignorance in a very different time.

[Confusedinomicon]

I think it has. I got my ba but I had appointments every 2 weeks and spent too much time panicking instead of studying. I did average and didn't do any extra curriculars because of depression.

I want to go back to school, now, though! Lol

[Skitz13]

I have a college education. It was very challenging to get through as I struggled with depression, an abusive husband and a suicide attempt.

I had a lot of support through the college and a certain professor and managed somehow to graduate with honors

[HALLIEBETH87]

I am a college drop out because I couldn't handle being around so many people....the anxiety was disabling me. I hid in my room and did self-injury allll the time. I tried to get help. But the counseling center I went to kept making me wait a month or more just to have an initial appt. I would skip classes and couldn't study or remember things I was trying to learn. I eventually dropped out because I couldn't do it anymore. I went from being a high academic honor grad in high school to my mental illness stuff completely take over me.

It was horrible.

[Inspectah13]

I have been in and out of college so many times now. I have attended three major universities and a large community college. At some point I either lose my cool or just get too overwhelmed to continue. My grades were always great, the work was never the problem. Dealing with other people, that has always been my problem. Ill be good for a week or maybe even a month but at some point it all goes south. It has been the case at every job I have ever had and at every school I have ever attended.