What do you regard as the significant achievement in your life?

* My most-substantial accomplishment was completing my degree course while undergoing a series of treatments for mis-diagnosed ultra-rapid cycling Bipolar disorder. Completing that degree was the hardest thing I've ever done. That experience alone introduced me to knowledge and understanding about my disorder to the extent that I knew about the disorder than did my psychiatrist. I also knew more about the possible treatments and side-effects, which led to my most-substantial personal accomplishment to date: being taken seriously and actually having some say in matters regarding my own body.

As to my success, I am now on the right medication (due to my suggestions about my treatment), and I have had the confidence in my studies and my experience to complain about the shocking lack of due care I was subjected to, prior to discovering my disorder by myself (I had to convince my psychiatrist, though, and that took 15 months). All this I mark as a great success.

If it hadn't been for my degree and the difficulties I faced, I wouldn't have discovered my true illness and wouldn't have had the success I've had till now with standing up for myself. This success, incidentally, has spread to other areas of my life: I am more assertive now than ever before; my knowledge assures me that I know what I'm speaking about.

This answer is long-winded, I know, but I couldn't have merely written the bare basics without confusing people.