My mother has untreated bipolar disorder, and when I was younger I grew an interest in technology and math as a way to dissociate. Whether it was during manic episodes or times I was neglected I looked to analytical activities to distract me. My father dealt with the everyday pain of living with my bipolar mother, but he managed this by venting to me in car rides (my mom never drove me places because she doesn’t really take on the responsibility of being my parent). I always wanted to help my dad feel better so I’d suggest for him to see a therapist (ideally the solution would first be to help my mom with her disorders). Initially, I wanted to do electrical engineering and computer science, but over the past few years I’ve also realized I’m very interested in studying the mind/brain (part of the reason being my parents but that’s not the sole reason). Basically, I found the discipline for me, which is computational psychiatry/neuroscience. I’m class of 2022 and over the summer I’m researching in a lab that uses circuits and engineering to attempt to treat mental illness.
Above is just some info on my situation and what I’d try and tie together in my essay. I’m concerned it’ll sound like I’m looking for pity, so I don’t know if I should just find some random topic about my life and write about that instead. Please let me know your thoughts.