The Typical- How personal is TOO personal?

[namaste08]

Hi all. I've been thinking about the dreaded secondary "what's your biggest challenge" and I have been blessed with a mother who can pay my tuition, time to study, shelter, etc. My only real challenge has been learning how to appropriately interact with my father who has been a life long drug addict. While I recognize that addiction is his challenge and not my own- his paranoia, complete lack of ability to care for others, and other drug seeking behavior has certainly impacted me. I grew quite a bit in seeking help for him and myself- going to family support groups to learn how to separate the disease from my father, learning to provide support without controlling, blah blah. Anyways- too personal? Not looking for sympathy or anything from the adcoms (they have heard it all) I just don't think I grew as much from any other challenge. I guess I could also write about my work as a cna but I already did in my activities and it is not the challenge I most closely tie with how I will deal with future challenges as a PCP.

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[breezy16]

Hi all. I've been thinking about the dreaded secondary "what's your biggest challenge" and I have been blessed with a mother who can pay my tuition, time to study, shelter, etc. My only real challenge has been learning how to appropriately interact with my father who has been a life long drug addict. While I recognize that addiction is his challenge and not my own- his paranoia, complete lack of ability to care for others, and other drug seeking behavior has certainly impacted me. I grew quite a bit in seeking help for him and myself- going to family support groups to learn how to separate the disease from my father, learning to provide support without controlling, blah blah. Anyways- too personal? Not looking for sympathy or anything from the adcoms (they have heard it all) I just don't think I grew as much from any other challenge. I guess I could also write about my work as a cna but I already did in my activities and it is not the challenge I most closely tie with how I will deal with future challenges as a PCP.

tbh, my personal statement mirrored many things similar to yours (if not more hairy/negative) and I was praised all cycle for my writing. You need to do it tactifully and how it influenced you. It can't be wahwahwah poor me, but yo, this is what happened, this is what I learned.

 

[Lannister]

Can you talk about it without crying or getting emotional? Would you feel comfortable talking about it with a complete stranger? If yes, then I would say it's fine.

 

[Moose A Moose]

If something you write would be considered "cringe worthy" by the masses, it's over the top.

 

[LizzyM]

Assume that someone who knows your family will read this essay. You may not imagine that anyone you know is on an adcom but you may be one degree of separation from an adcom member. Also, if you named your parents on your application, you are providing information about your dad that paints him in a very unflattering light.

Rather than saying "father" I'd say "member of my immediate family".

 

[Goro]

Or "a loved one".

Rather than saying "father" I'd say "member of my immediate family".