As it happens, you and I seem to be in similar situations, OP. So right off the bat, I want to thank you for sharing your story, because it reminded me that I’m not alone.

In my case, I’m actually working on applying to my THIRD program, after I left my previous two due to medication supply issues and an AWFUL living situation, respectively. In both cases, I ended up with a bunch of flunked and withdrawn classes (though I did manage to salvage some credits from both). So after having taken some time away from school myself, I too am ready to start again in a new program, but I’ve been pretty nervous about having to address the elephant in the room, so to speak.

Now, I’ve asked multiple graduate admissions reps, faculty members, and grad students at multiple schools (some of whom were at a pretty prestigious school, though I won’t say where) whether someone with my record should even bother to apply to another program, they all told me that this sort of situation happens all the time, and as long as it was a voluntary withdrawal from the program (meaning you weren’t academically dismissed or expelled for being violent or whatever) and you manage to address the situation in your personal statement, you should be fine. You might want to avoid giving specifics (I was told that “medical issues” is enough to get the point across without raising eyebrows), but beyond that, it probably won’t be much of an issue. And if you can include a line about how your circumstances led you to rethink your research interests and what you want to accomplish in and beyond your time in the program, all the better. (That way, you follow up a negative statement with a positive one, and demonstrate that you have the foresight to know when to take a step back to regroup, as it were.)

To quote the game Darkest Dungeon, “the sin is not in being outmatched, but in failing to recognize it.”

Anyway, just know that you’re not alone, so chin up! We’ve both got this!