Any advice on how to break this block?

Hey everyone!

I’m a med student who started in 2021. After finishing my first year, I went through two years of clinical depression and overdosing with meds. I couldn’t function, so I paused school and basically my whole life.

I know many of you are current or former students, and mental health doesn’t affect academic performance the same way for everyone. I’m curious - how did you deal with study blocks, and how do you overcome them? How to study more effectively under time pressure? Especially when it comes to reviewing what you’ve already learned - since repetition is, as they say, the mother of learning.

Now, I’m doing great mentally and that's all behind me. I’m grateful to be alive, and I want to live fully and move forward. I’m trying to get back into studying, but I have this deep fear of failure and a huge mental block when it comes to reviewing material. I freeze up, and time keeps slipping by.

Also, I struggle with focusing on what matters most. My brain naturally goes deep into details and wants to understand everything in a broader context. But I know the education system isn’t really built for that - it doesn’t play to my strengths.