Page 1 of 1 [ 14 posts ] 

styphon
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 31 Mar 2008
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 86

09 Jan 2010, 8:57 pm

Never let your past stop you from moving ahead with your life. Although you may have made mistakes or taken a bad path in the past you can *always* return to the path of success, it just will be a little more complicated and may take longer. To support this I will describe my story, the factors against me, and the bad choices I made.

It starts from teh beginning, my first year of elementary school was spent in special education and then later I was held back a year since they thought I was mentally delayed because of a severe speech problem. After standarized testing I was allowed to re-enter the general student population but had to take speech therapy for 6 years. Then in high school we had standardized testing(yet again) and I was placed a year ahead in some classes (math, English, science). Thing is when I became 12 I suddenly felt overwhelmingly depressed. I started cutting myself nonstop, I didn't put effort in anything, my longest school streak was 4 days in a row, and I ended up being hospitalized for psychiatric reasons several times which in turn made school even more difficult. So, logically, I dropped out in 11th grade, but I was lucky enough that there was an "alternative highschool" near me that I was pushed into. They allowed me to graduate with a highschool diploma, were very lax with time restrictions, and worked around my mental illness.

After highschool I spent 3 years with various suicide attempts, going in and out of hospitals (again, psych reasons), and recieving over 100 shock treatments (E.C.T.) Thanks to my psychiatrist, wife, and family I was finally pushed to go to community college. I started in computers but switched to liberal arts aiming to go to an ivy league college. I still battled depression and there were multiple times I almost committed myself to the hospital. Yet, I ended up being accepted to an ivy league school.

At this prestigous school, my depression got worse, I was alone on a campus of +10,000 students. I became jaded with medicine and didn't apply to medical school. I moved to a different city, quit my psych meds and started cutting myself profusely again. Eventually I applied to medical schools and was accepted even though I am perhaps one of the worst interviewees there can be.

While in med school I was told repeatedly that I "didn't have a doctors personality" and I would "never last". They were right in some part, as I did have some trouble. I was involuntary committed to the hospital last year and then my lovely dean tried to block me from being reinstated as a student after finding out it was a mental hospital that I had spent time in.

Yet, despite all of this: the speech problem, the supposed mental delay, the overhelming overly specific obsessions, dropping out out highschool, the multiple forced hospital admissions, the 100 plus procedures that fried my brain, and all the people telling me it's impossible and I can never do it, I am 3 easy months away from finishing. Not only that, this supposed mental handicapped, mentally ill, socially inept person is beating at least 50% of his healthy, normal, non-mentally ill fellow students.

Point is: We all have challanges, people on this forum probably more than others, and no matter how large they seem or how everyone is yelling "you can't do that", you CAN achieve your goals and there IS a way. You just have to search for it, press HARD, and don't give in.

I hoped this helped at least one person. And if it didn't, sorry for rambling. Also feel free to PM me with questions or whatever.



M_p_furo
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Posts: 358

09 Jan 2010, 9:16 pm

*hugs*

I can actually relate to your story in many ways. Perhaps I will PM you in the near future.

I am very happy for you and it's wonderful that you didn't give up. Many congrats on your up and coming degree!! :)



Last2Know
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 1 Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 79

09 Jan 2010, 9:38 pm

Wow, your story is very inspirational. Thank you for sharing it.



VincentVanJones
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 8 Sep 2008
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Posts: 462

09 Jan 2010, 10:14 pm

Great post!



millie
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Oct 2008
Age: 61
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,154

09 Jan 2010, 10:23 pm

Styphon, thank you so much for posting your story. good luck and i hope you continue to progress and carve out a truly wonderful life for yourself. (the professor who tried to "block" you should be sacked for ignorance.)

just so lovely to read and so caring of you to post it in the hope of inspiring others. :)



Pobodys_Nerfect
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 10 Mar 2008
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 600
Location: New Zealand

09 Jan 2010, 10:53 pm

Great read. :D



alex
Developer
Developer

User avatar

Joined: 13 Jun 2004
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 10,214
Location: Beverly Hills, CA

09 Jan 2010, 10:59 pm

GREAT POST!



cosmiccat
Supporting Member
Supporting Member

User avatar

Joined: 5 Apr 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,504
Location: Philadelphia

09 Jan 2010, 11:23 pm

Thank you for sharing your story with us. It is truly inspirational and I'm sure it will be of great help to many people here on Wrong Planet.



dustintorch
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 May 2009
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 562

09 Jan 2010, 11:28 pm

I agree, great post.



makuranososhi
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 May 2008
Age: 47
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,805
Location: Banned by Alex

10 Jan 2010, 12:03 am

If I had a 'Hero' tag, I'd give it to you. Wonderful post. That's a great story about overcoming odds and the perceptions of others to achieve what you desire in life.


M.


_________________
My thanks to all the wonderful members here; I will miss the opportunity to continue to learn and work with you.

For those who seek an alternative, it is coming.

So long, and thanks for all the fish!


ruennsheng
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 Feb 2009
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,523
Location: Singapore

10 Jan 2010, 12:58 am

Well you'll be the beacon of light to many, with you fighting against the odds to gain victory soon. Let's hope you'll continue to persevere and be the best you can be. :)


_________________
Ex amicitia vita


LuxoJr
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 2 Dec 2009
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Posts: 391
Location: a dance party on the moon

10 Jan 2010, 5:40 am

Woah...
I think my heart just died of too much inspiration...

This was a very good post, and I thank you for sharing it with us.


_________________
We could sail on a pancake sail ship in an ocean of chocolate. And if it sinks we could hitch a ride on a ratatouille rocket.


wildgrape
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 28 May 2009
Age: 73
Gender: Male
Posts: 262

10 Jan 2010, 7:56 am

Yes, indeed it is a wonderful post and a truly inspiring story. I marvel at the courage it must have taken to detail in your post the difficult episodes. All best wishes for the future.



Asp-Z
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Dec 2009
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Posts: 11,018

10 Jan 2010, 9:33 am

Great post! Glad you made it through all that, and I wish you best of luck in the future :)