when and where is it appropriate (and strengthening) to bring up mental illness?

[octopussongs]

I know I am not the only one thinking of this so I hope to hear back soon!

I'm applying for psychological anthropology programs (a pretty narrow specification with only a few schools to choose from so i'm SUPER stressed about not getting into any and having to wait another year), and, as my path of study may suggest, I have personal experience with psychological issues, namely, I have bipolar disorder.

I don't want to use this diagnosis as an 'excuse' for my average grades for my first few years of college (im hoping the admissions committee can connect the dots and figure out on their own why I went from straight As to straight Cs one quarter) but I do want to make a strong argument for why I deserve a spot in their program. I'm trying to frame this as a disability (and it is legally but not socially), and more of a minority thing, because boy do I wish there were more bipolars doing great things and making a good name for themselves.

What I do want to emphasize is that basically, I wanted to do more, do more research, take more classes, do an honors thesis ect., but I couldn't because maintaining bipolar well enough to go to school and do decent was a part-time job in itself and I did pretty well once I stabilized.

This is a minority issue that isn't as commonplace, but I truly think it sould be more so.

How can I integrate this into my SOP without sounding like a cry-baby? The biggest problem here is that obviously, bipolar doesn't ever really stabilze. I was stablized and then my grades shot up but then I became over-medicated and my motivation went down, so then I lowered some doses and my motivation and creativity went up but then I couldn't concentrate so I took a bunch of fairly random classes and random internships that dont reflect AT ALL what I want to study. So I can't use the "once I was diagnosed and got healthy, I'm back on track" argument because, in good faith, that would be dishonest.

Note: I've asked this question on my 'crazy' forums for people like me but not a lot of people on there are not grad school bound.....so I always think they are just trying to make me feel warm and fuzzy and not giving constructive criticism.

Hopefully I'll hear from the chonically mentally ill, or chronically something else, and those unafflicted alike because I could get both on my adcomm.....

[margarets]

You may find this article relevant.

http://psychology.unl.edu/psichi/Graduate_School_Application_Kisses_of_Death.pdf

[octopussongs]

I've actually read that article. I'm hoping anthropology is a little different. Anthropologists often say it is something we 'are' not something 'we do' or 'we become'. I realize tons of psychologists are probably mentally ill, I didn't want to be a sterotype, which is one of the reasons why I am doing psych. anth vs. just psych. But, I kinda want it to matter, you know? Because without it, I don't know how I would've been drawn to such an obscure field. So without it, I'm just someone who was interested in it, which seems kinda weak.

Ug. this is so complex! Too many variables. Should I embellish a fake 'how I found this discipline' hook?

[octopussongs]

To make matters more confusing, one school mentions bringing up disability that made education difficult. So, is it ok to bring up other disabilities but not mental ones? I feel like that is a trick question. Like they want to identify your weaknesses to 'weed out' those who aren't healthy. I realize a disabled grad student is a liability...

[margarets]

Just to clarify, are the schools you are applying to looking for this kind of personal history? Where would it fit in to your SoP? Did you finish your studies on a high note? Will you have good LoRs?

My two cents is that I would avoid mentioning it, or at least downplaying it, and focusing on your academic and intellectual strengths, your other reasons for pursuing this interest, the research you want to do, your career plans, etc.

[Jensen12]

I'm so glad you decided to share this. I've struggled with major depression on and off throughout my life and have found that the ups and downs have profoundly shaped my sense of self. Often in the social sciences, scholars position themselves within their research by discussing their own identity. This usually takes the form of acknowledging a privileged or insider or outsider perspective as determined by one’s race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, or other widely accepted marker of identity. But mental health issues aren’t given this same status as a marker of identity. They’re “too personal” or “unprofessional” to warrant discussion. We’re supposed to ignore them because it’s just too yucky to talk about in polite academic circles. Well, the same was said about sexuality until Queer Theory came along.

That being said, I think you'll have to know the theoretical orientation of the programs you're applying to really well to know if talking about your bipolarism will be well received. How post-structuralist are these programs? Are you hoping to use your PhD to understand how bipolar identity is constructed? If so, then maybe mention your own bipolarism in relation to an interest critical subjectivity. But, if you want to use your PhD to study bipolarism at the neurological level... maybe don't mention it. It’s a tough call, but I think you have to decide between going all out and really tying your bipolarism to theory your interested in, or not mention it at all.

You’ve probably already heard of her, but have you read Kay Redfield Jamison’s Unquiet Mind?

Edited November 9, 2012 by Jensen12

[Jensen12]

8:00 might be of particular interest to you. Not sure if you should let this inspire your SOP, but hopefully it inspires you in other ways.

Edited November 9, 2012 by Jensen12

[dcare]

I had some ups and downs on my transcripts and I just tacked on a short paragraph at the end basically saying "I battled undiagnosed such and such until I was 23, but now its under control and was able to finish my undergraduate degree as a much stronger student. and now that I'm back on track, I have these characteristics that will make me a successful graduate student.

Someone else advised me on addressing it this, as thats what he did for his SOP and he was accepted into his program. So I went with it. Those who have reviewed my SOP haven't told me to get rid of it.

[negarey]

I know this is a year later and it's possible no one will see this, but I also want to say thanks for sharing because I'm in the same position right now and I feel the exact same way. It's just reassuring to know I'm not the only one.

It seems like whenever I acknowledge the weaknesses that arise due to my bipolar disorder (specifically in terms of communication issues as I'm on the severely manic end usually - pressured speech, leaps of logic and the occasional fierce, delusional loyalty to insignificant arguments) people think I'm just making excuses for being stubborn or intentionally trying to be rude. My mom ended up working with someone who was in one of my undergrad classes and this girl said I made it hard for other people to learn because I had already grasped everything and would talk excessively about it in class which would prevent the professor from really explaining it to everyone else. I'm on meds now, which helps control that compulsion.

The professor who helped me with my honors thesis for a year and a half, and who was not entirely surprised when I contacted her a couple years later and explained my diagnosis, told me not to mention it at all and that she'd work it into her letter of recommendation. My GPA didn't suffer too much because the mania helped me get straight As basically until I took too much on in my last semester. I did the same thing as you. I'm an English lit person but I decided I would have no problem in a 400-level Linguistics course (I got a D), a philosophy course © and an unrealistic amount of independent study-based English projects, which I managed to do okay in, but definitely not as well as I should have.

Anyway, I came to this post because now I'm wondering if I should "register" or whatever as having a disability with the university so that just in case anything happens, it will at least be on paper. I don't want THAT to look like I'm making an excuse or preparing myself to fail, i just feel like my professors should know so they can kind of keep an eye out if I become disruptive or something. I don't know if that even makes sense.

Plus my meds have degraded my concentration and reading comprehension to the point that it takes me three times as long to read things sometimes, which is annoying. It hasn't diminished my capability of producing great work, it just takes longer. So I feel like it might be necessary to bring it up.

Any advice on that front?

[Lisa44201]

I would suggest registering with disability services if you need extra test time due to the concentration and reading comprehension issues. If you become disruptive, registering with them (or not) won't make a bit of a difference; the University is required to remove barriers to getting an education, such as providing accommodations to testing, wheelchair access, & etc.; they are not required to modify essential requirements, and I believe behavior/demeanor is an essential requirement. Additionally, if you become disruptive, it's not like the professor can do anything about it; furthermore, the reason for the disruption is irrelevant - the time in class is lost either way.

 

See below for further reading:

 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html

[negarey]

Thank you so much! It's all so new to me that calling it a "disability" feels weird and I didn't even think to search for further resources along that line. I will definitely make sure to register and possibly take fewer classes as well, just to be on the safe side.