Will My Mental Health Effect My Studies for Graduate School?

In 2010, I was officially diagnosed by the military with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, insomnia, and schizo affect. It has been a struggle getting to the point in my life where I am today, but with the help of a caring staff at the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and through the unwavering support of my family, it has come to be that I have stabilized. But getting to this point has not come without it's challenges and sacrifices.


During my undergraduate career, I continually struggled with my PTSD. During the initial days of enrolling with Lewis University, I missed a lot of class early on for several reasons: unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar people, and my back usually being towards the only exit in the room. This was very hard for me to overcome, but through patience and will-power, I was able to get this under control to resume my studies. I also struggled with being in large crowds. Luckily Lewis was a very small private university and the Social Work department was very small so I grew to know the other students intimately.

Those who struggle with depression know how much of a monster this diagnosis can really be. There have been numerous days where I struggled to get out of bed and even begin my day. There were times where I didn't want to have any sort of human interaction. There were instances where I didn't have the motivation to complete any of my tasks. This is normal, but it is something I battled with as I wanted to ensure my performance during undergrad was the best it could be. Struggling with this mental health condition while trying to get through school was a challenge, one that I had to fight through nearly every single day of my two and a half year tenure. I was never able to fully master how to get through it; I suffered in silence and mustered on. Luckily I had support from the university's office of disability and had many accommodations in place in order to help me succeed.

But how will my mental health effect my graduate school studies?

Much like undergrad, I have many of the same accommodations in place in order to help me succeed as I study for my Master's in Social Work degree, even going further in what they would allow for me. The university has a strict no pet policy in their housing units yet once they learned of how much my dog, a Siberian Husky named Sasha, means to me and how she's helped me get through my depressed days, they allowed me to register her as an emotional support animal and she now resides with me and my son in grad school housing.

Am I worried about my studies while I continue to battle mental health concerns: absolutely! Do I think, much like undergrad, that I will be able to succeed in my studies? Of course. I am very open about my condition these days as I am an advocate for mental health and substance use disorder. I traveled the state of Illinois recently, telling my story in hopes of it helping at least once person. I have spoken openly about my condition to other admitted students and to staff here at Columbia University, all of whom are accepting of me and what I battle. The university staff have done what they can in order to ensure that I can succeed, for which I am very thankful.

As Social Workers, they understand that mental health concerns are not a choice. One must live with them daily, and the plethora of symptoms that come along with them. But they also realize that a diagnosis or stereotype does not define a student. They see potential in me, as I do in myself, and will do what they can in order to ensure I complete my MSW program in such a place where, when the time comes, I may apply to a PhD. program.

Although I live my life with numerous mental health diagnoses, I am not what many presume of someone in my situation. I am a leader, a student veteran, and determined to prove to the world that someone who suffers can also succeed. This degree is not just for me; it is for all of those who want better for themselves but do not believe they can do so because of their label. Stop the stigma, educate the public, and believe that those who suffer can be seen as more than their diagnosis.

From combat to classroom to career.