A Life's Dream of a Degree Abroad versus Bipolar Disorder

This is the first time I have been on a forum about my condition. Anyway, I think a little back story may help. Outside of the disorder, we are people after all. I come from a rather large family that is highly involved in engineering and science. My dad is an electrical engineer and there are several PhD chemists on my dad's side of the family. I grew up in an environment where I could ask curious questions and science held the promise of an answer. I always dreamed of becoming a research scientist in biology (this later evolved into genomics).

At the age of 17, I was diagnosed with Bipolar I at a children's hospital. The disorder came quite suddenly but my intensity and moodiness pre-existed. I graduated from high school and attended a local community college and then transferred to a major research university. I had a second manic episode the spring after I turned 21 (part of it had to do with stress and another with going off medication when I was not entirely lucid). I received a biochemistry from a small liberal arts college and decided to take a year off to evaluate the job market in my field and prepare for graduate school. A good foreign friend who I met at the research university encouraged me to apply for a European school. I did and I miraculously got into a master's program at the University of Geneva in Switzerland which is ranked 4th in molecular biology (genomics) in Europe.

This is where the dilemma starts. I totally want to do this program, but I am fearful a relapse may occur with bipolar disorder. Switzerland has a very good health program but this whole process is novel to me and likely stressful. I suppose this topic is directed at people who have successfully reached their goals academically despite the condition of bipolar disorder. Does anybody have any advice on how I can evaluate my readiness? I see a psychiatric and a counselor but going to a foreign university is a big leap. Any advice, especially from science majors, would be greatly appreciated. I can provide further details.

Hi

I worked in medicine and prior to getting really ill I was offered jobs in South Africa and Australia. I wish I had just gone and got on with my life. Hwever I jut got too unwell and have been off work for a while now. What I would say is that we do have to give respect to our disorder but I also am coming to the opinion that you only live once and it is good to grab opportunities life gives us. I am now living a very simple and at times boring life and I want to track down and grab some opportunities asap. I know there is risk involved but this sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you and one which I think you may regret if you dont take it. I think coming up with a plan about how you will recognise you are getting ill (eg mood charting and early warning signs) and also how you will deal with that (eg making sure you have a dr you can go to see) would be helpful here and might give you some piece of mind that there are plans in place for what to do if you do get ill. You may not tho and I think that if it were me I would take the risk and the opportunity. I really regret I did not end up working in Cape Town.

Cracked

Hi
I can relate to having an educated family. A lot of my family are in finance and science, my parents in engineering field and I've also followed in their footsteps. I'm not a masters student, though I am taking a degree abroad in Europe as well. I'm done with all my exams. I'm currently trying to finish my thesis.

Since you are diagnosed already, I think it's easier for you to manage your well-being. I was diagnosed just recently and thank you hypomania for giving me high grades...sometimes.

Here's what I can tell you from experience:

Do your research on the course you are taking. I did not expect the huge workload. Europe universities especially in Germany really requires a lot of time studying and researching. For me, the workload was actually more than how it was in my home country(similar to UK education system) and i think it contributed to my manic depression. So you'll need to monitor yourself.

From what my therapist has said, it's better if you can speak the language even though your course is in english. That way you feel integrated into the community and feel at ease with your surrounding. Gives you a sense of community. I don't speak the language here at all and sometimes, I think it makes me depressed.

If you are really sure of going, I highly suggest you find a therapist. Email them. Get one early, as it takes months just being on a waiting list. In my area, there's a free psychotherapy center for students attending nearby universities. I get by with that.

All in all, bipolar aside, everybody is deserving of enjoying and taking in all the experience and opportunities we could get. Make sure you won't regret your decision. Because one day we will look back and all the bad things won't matter, just the good and the best things that happened in our lives.

Hello!
First off, congrats on your offer from the uni!
Ive also been studying the past few years with mental illness interrupting my studies numerous times but Ive always gone back to them and am now in the right degree at the right uni so Im happy to have pursued an education in medicine.
I studied abroad for three years, actually leaving switzerland (where my family lives) to go to the uk. What matters is to have a safety net and an emergency plan in place, if you go manic in Geneva, it might as well happen back at home, of course moving to another country will have an impact on your mental well being but its just about softening that blow as much as possible.
So finding a psychiatrist before hand, skyping them before so that youre not disappointed and end up with no professional support, etc.
I pretty much thought of every worst case scenario and met each criteria to preventing them.