Balancing Mental Health and Ambition in University

I ended up dropping out my first semester for uni because balancing my mental health, school, work, and my home life got to be too much. I had told myself I'd go to the community college in the fall but just thinking about being back in a higher education classroom freaks me out.

Every single day. In 6 months into a one year masters program. I’m also working full time and trying to manage dozens of chronic health conditions including complex PTSD, depression, anxiety, major digestive issues, 4 chronic pain conditions and more. Plus major financial issues. I can’t tell you the last time I did laundry. I can barely feed myself and almost every dish I own is dirty piled up in and around my sink. I just can’t drag myself to the kitchen to deal with it.

Absolutely, I am currently going back for my teaching degree in special Ed and seeing all the stress teachers go through is giving me major anxiety about my career choice

✋ in medical school here going through the same. Also went through it in undergrad. Both times I ended up in highly ranked schools with extremely talented peers. Unfortunately, having academic success isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Many of us have suffered serious mental health consequences as we deal with things like compromising on our ambition, having success outside of the classroom, not being recognized for our work anymore, etc. I don’t have a solution to any of it yet, but am hanging in there, as I hope you can too. One day we will figure out what works for us.

I’m almost a year out of undergrad and I’m so burnt out and still unemployed and recovering from all the medical neglect I committed from choosing school over health to finish my degree. It’s tough out here. I have hope but no answers

I’m in grad school, and, that comes with a ton of pressure to do XY and Z. I’ve done all of them, but like, it often comes at the cost of no sleep/poorer quality of life. That also leads to major crashes when I can crash for a second (ie once I stop, I can’t start again for a week minimum).

Yess! I am on my last couple months of college and I am having trouble getting out of bed most days. Along with brain fog, I haven't been able to get my homework done.

Oh yes. Especially in terms of executive functioning (catching the train on time, making sure I have all of the things I need, filling out daily health questionnaires). It’s pretty rough actually lmao

1000% I am in school rn and it’s gotten very hard to balance symptoms with schooling.