Wow you are the definition of excellence! Can you give me a run down of your days. How were you able to not only keep up studies but to excel and in the military too while dealing with so much? Sorry if I'm repeating a question haven't read through the whole thread!
- - - Post Merge - - -
Btw I'm also from Ontario!
That's cool! A fellow Canadian! I am from the GTA myself, but I moved to Windsor to go to University :3
Thanks for your question! And for bumping my thread!
My days as a teenager in cadets/military/International Baccalaureate Program /Youth Shelters/etc were very different than my days now. So I will give you insight on my life 7 years ago and now:
Katherine, Age 17:
Profile: Grade 11 IB Student with Top Marks
Flight Sergeant in Cadets
Drill Team Commander 2 years running - Team placed Top Sixth in Ontario that year
Recently Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder with Prominent Anxiety and Depression after a suicide attempt (an overdose a year prior)
Hard-working, Over-working, No time for friends or a social life.
Is stunningly attractive and is very confident and has positive self-efficacy.
Has a very attractive, romantic and intelligent boyfriend, Bogdan, of 3 years, who is a year older than her who is the Band Commander at her Squadron - everything is great except he displays no sexual interest in her because he feels anything more than kissing would be degrading treatment to a woman, so Katherine feels sexually dissatisfied, but idolizes him practically as a God. He would go to McGill and break up with her that October. They are still VERY close friends to this day.
Non-religious. Raised catholic, but identifies as Existential Atheist.
Goals: To be In NATO or the UN
Unmedicated: Mood Swings all over the place.... out of control behaviour.... risk taking.... depression.... hospitalization....
Katherine: Age 24
Many supports: A boyfriend of 7 years, who I live with, along with 2 identical twin boy cats
Many coping strategies. Aware of triggers. Aware of mood patters. Communicates with therapists and psychiatrists about symptoms.
Medicated: Sedated. Not as able to perform at "peak-level" performance academically. Trouble with word-finding tasks as a side-effect. Weight gain. Not as attractive. Low self-esteem. Low self-worth. Low self-efficacy. Needing accommodations in the classroom such as extra time on assignments and getting a note taker for lectures. Missing class may be the result of my disability. Academic performance is average. Major Depressive Episodes occur in November and February/March of each year and affect my school work.
Religious: Roman Catholic.
Witnessed mother bleed to death when I was 19. Had an effect on religious beliefs. Started going back to church.
Goals: Went from being an International Relations major to a History/Psychology Major. hope to get my PhD and become a prof.
How to I overcome my illness and perform a my best anyway?
SMART Goals: Specific, Manageable,. Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound.
Instead of saying "Study Cild Psych" I say "Study Child Psych Chapter 4 pages 97-114 Monday 2pm - 3:30pm".
I make a timetable, fill in my classes, then fill in my appointments, then shade in study time. On subsequent pages, I have space to jot down what I am going to do when, so on Monday, I will have 2-3:30pm shaded in on my timetable, then on the next page, I will have 2-3:30pm: Child Psych Ch.4 Pg. 97-114.
It keeps me organized. ^^ And I stay on top of my readings and assignments that way. I plan WEEKS in advance.
How am I doing NOW? Not so great to be honest.....
As I said, February/March are the WORST months for me. The depression has hit. I am in a "mixed episode". I haven't been sleeping. I have hardly been eating. I have had thoughts of self-harm and suicide.... I have had NO MOTIVATION WHATSOEVER to manage to keep up with my school work. I cry and have panic attacks almost every day. I can barely function. I have distorted thinking patterns.... Its funny.... From an academic standpoint, as a psychology student, I can be aware of these things, yet its so REAL being the one experiencing them. I can identify, "yup, that's symptomatic of a mixed episode", or "that's a cognitive distortion" or "I have read the studies of self-harm in Bipolar patients in mixed episodes, its very addictive. I have to stop!" I have both an insider and outsider perspective. And it makes conversations with my psychiatrist very interesting because I speak her language. We are equals in a sense. I don't feel like a guinea pig.
