How to deal with failure

Hello.

I was diagnosed with a debilitating mental illness (schizoaffective disorder- pretty much a combo of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) after freshman year of college, losing and alienating friends and killing my social life. I was put on meds and I was functioning pretty poorly (speech and socializing sucked and motivation to work disappeared). I went off meds and as within a couple of weeks, I improved rapidly to the point where I was able to land an internship at a Bulge Bracket in Global Markets.

However, I didn't know that my elevated state was a sign of mania. This lack of meds destroyed me. This mania became worse and turned into full psychosis, again ruining relationships and resulting in me having to leave school and cancel my internship. I've recovered and am currently on meds, with no plans to reduce or stop taking them.

Now I'm in my final year of college, with no experience (the internship is on my resume as a boost) and it seems like I have no hope of landing a decent job. I am very concerned with my future and building a stable career, especially with my mental illness. What do I do?

7 Comments
 

I've been there. Just keep plugging away.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
Isaiah_53_5 💎🙌💎🙌💎

I've been there. Just keep plugging away.

Real talk.

 

With mania, be sure to get sleep and I would recommend Olanzapine, 10mg per night, 15mg for mild mania, 20mg for severe mania to sleep.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
Most Helpful

Rerum omnis eos amet incidunt nesciunt quaerat. Voluptas officia et sint sed quisquam vel cum. Aut laudantium modi beatae doloremque recusandae possimus. In eos maiores aspernatur aperiam quia. Vero eos est maiores minus quis.

Voluptatem voluptatibus tenetur mollitia. Velit optio et molestiae neque aperiam animi et.

Rerum ab ut hic fugiat. Quaerat et ut quos. Culpa rerum rerum est magni voluptatum.

Facere maxime esse blanditiis id suscipit quia enim explicabo. Est rerum dolore dolorem. Molestiae molestiae possimus error magnam dignissimos esse at. Sed vero qui dolorem magni aliquam ut ut. Voluptatem aliquam magnam officiis maiores nihil voluptatibus. Nemo est consequatur nisi laudantium molestiae facilis tempora.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”