after annapolis, i did a few years on a destroyer based out of mayport, florida. then when you're at sea, you're training to be the guy directing the ship where to navigate, where to go. it's great fun, but also extremely high stress, but i loved it. i was pre-selected for satellite systems engineering. part of that was going to grad school. when i got the acceptance letter from mit, it was one of those moments where you're just like, "this is not happening. it must be a mistake." but the stars had aligned and i was really happy. fall semester went off without a hitch. i had started a romantic relationship earlier that summer. the early spring is when things started to fall apart. my romantic relationship took a turn, became toxic. i was in distress, i was overwhelmed. we were taking upwards of four to five graduate-level courses a semester, so i sought out care from the mental health clinic at mit, the campus clinic. the presented solution to my problems was a prescription for the benzodiazepine ativan, which i'd never previously known about or taken, and zoloft.