Dropping Unit at University

This morning I woke up utterly exhausted for the sixth day in a row. This makes it near impossible to function until I wake. It can take me hours to feel awake. And by awake I mean stopping slurring, staggering and clearly being unable to drive. I have dropped my Seroquel to 50 mg at night but it seems hit and miss. Even if I get 12 hours sleep I wake up 'drunk'. This led me to have to cancel going to class this morning, even though it was a 12.30 pm start. It takes over half an hour each way to drive there and I just didn't feel safe doing this.

Anyway, with my mood tanking, and clearly struggling to get to class on Friday. On Tuesdays I only have a long drive there as I stay at my parents that night and they live ten minutes from university. Also it seems I may not be able to manage just two units. It is an embarrassment. That is only a quarter of a full-time load. I have just come out of the worst psychotic mixed episode I have ever had. Maybe I just need more time and space to recover? Maybe I should push through and find that I can cope with the load?

What do you guys think?

Can you talk to a student navigator about your options?

I am in a similar position. I had five classes this semester, and I wasn't doing them well. I'm super concerned about my GPA, because I need to apply to grad school.

I ended up dropping a mandatory History class. I will have to take it eventually, but it was causing me the most grief, and on the up side, I've done half the work for when I eventually do take it again.

You can only manage what you can manage. I don't think there's much point in just barely hanging on. You may be able to keep your courses and qualify for accommodations which may help you out. Have you looked into that possibility?

I just dropped out of uni, which was fine because it was a program to add to my master from last year. I figured the additional stress wasn't worth it.

I have to say this though. DO NOT drive if you feel off from your meds. I got arrested after an accident and told the police about my meds. I can't say if they caused it or not but the police seemed to think so. And if my meds did cause the accident? It just supports my point to NOT drive on your meds! I think Seroquel is a pretty bad one.

Yes, I could. They may be able to advise on the consequences of my decision, but nothing else.

Thanks. I already qualify for various accomodations. It's more the stress of time pressure. I just don't seem to have the stamina I used too, and I have Fibromyalgia as well so that comes into play.

Thanks. As drugged and out of it that I felt this morning I would never drive while feeling that way, or anything close to it.

I echo the suggestion mentioned about talking to a student navigator and/or your professors to see if any additional accommodations can be put into place, such as deadline extensions.

There is no shame in not being in a good place to be in post-secondary school or to handle a partial course load. It can be a stressful time and it takes dedication and hard work.

I had to drop out of college after a year at the age of 21 because I was not well enough to continue. I came back 5 years later, at the age of 26 (in a much better mental state), and will be graduating this May. It sounds like you are prioritizing your mental health which is fantastic. I wish you all the best.

The really embarrassing thing about this is I started my first degree in Psychology in 1994, dropped out and started Biological Sciences in 1995. I managed 18 months of that degree full-time before having to drop out with depression (well actually bipolar but I had no idea at the time). In 1998 I suffered an unimaginable trauma. Since then the longest I have worked full-time in a row was 3.5 years. I achieved success but was robbed of it too as physical illness kept me in bed for several years.

Anyway I finally went back to university in 2013 doing a Photography major from which I subsequently dropped out. Now I am half-way through an English major. The embarrassment is that I have little to no chance of using this degree anyway at my age as everyone employs younger people. So basically this is one big occupational therapy exercise to keep me busy and stimulated while I struggle with Bipolar. If I had the physical capacity I would leave university and go and get myself the best job I could. Unfortunately Fibromyalgia leaves me unable to know when I will have good days and bedridden days. I don't feel sorry for myself. These are just the facts. I have secret goals, which are highly unlikely but possible. I will keep problem solving this.