<p>I have struggled with an eating disorder (technically an EDNOS, a combination of anorexia and bulimia) since 7th grade. In addition, I suffered from multiple, drawn-out episodes of major depression since the winter of my sophomore year. Last fall, of my junior year, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after being committed to a psychiatric hospital for a suicide attempt and panic attacks. Since then, I have been put on medication for bipolar disorder and ADD. I also regularly see a psychiatrist and a psychologist.
This affected my grades from winter/spring of '08 to fall/winter of '09. My grades slipped some, not too much but enough that I feel I need to give an explanation. It negatively affected my GPA, I missed over 30 days of school fall semester alone, and the adverse effect on my relationships (I got dumped by my two best friends and ultimately it ruined my relationship with my long-term boyfriend).
This is something that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life. I could relapse at any time, be triggered by an uncontrolled event, anything. Learning to manage is all I can do. There are definitely positive things that I have learned from the whole experience and I hope that I can use my struggle to help other teens who are going through similar situations. I definitely am not going to play the sympathy card here. I just want to </p>
<p>I think that I can write a compelling essay on this subject, but would discussing my psychiatric issues (especially the suicide attempt that landed me in the ICU) hurt my chances of getting into a school? I would really appreciate your thoughts and suggestions!</p>
<p>I don’t think it’ll hurt you if you emphasize what you’ve learned from it. You have to let them know that you’ll be able to handle the work even though you have a mental illness. I wouldn’t include a lot about how you could relapse at any time.</p>
<p>I went through a similar experience freshman year (yes, I’m a guy), and had the same dilemma about using it as an essay topic. Ultimately, I chose not to. Why?</p>
<p>Because of exactly what you wrote here: “I could relapse at any time, be triggered by an uncontrolled event, anything.”</p>
<p>The transition into college life is a big one. I think, if you’re not careful, an essay focusing on this topic might raise questions about your ability to cope with that drastic change.</p>
<p>Your personal statement is a chance to show your character. Does your eating disorder or your depression define you as a person? Should you let it?</p>
<p>I think an essay about mental illness is too risky. Schools are already leery about admitting students with mental problems, and using your essay to draw attention to that weakness in your application isn’t a smart idea. Even with a positive spin you’d be focusing on an inherently unpredictable aspect of yourself, a disorder that because of a few sensational cases has haunted college campuses, and cost random students their lives. I think your application would be much better served by an essay on a more neutral topic.</p>
<p>and maybe do a search here, perhaps there are others.</p>
<p>You might also consider asking in the Parents Forum.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that other options include writing a supplemental essay addressing difficulties that you have experienced, and/or asking your GC to address them in his/her recommendation.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your help. I’m still considering doing it, but I plan on focusing instead on the growth and the passion that it gave me rather than even discussing the suicide attempt. I think I may choose to also learn more towards the eating disorder than the bipolar diagnosis (bipolar disorder is just automatically associated with instability, a characteristic that I do NOT want to suggest).
Again, this is still only an idea. With a topic this sensitive, I also plan on having lots of people read it to check, my GC, parents, etc.
Thanks especially to ADad for the thread link!</p>