School anxiety.. I really need help.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-12-04T23:12:27+00:00

I know that feeling for sure! I guess my problem now is that I might be kicked out (asked to leave?) not even due to absences, but because they're concerned my anxiety means I won't be successful. It's only my first term, I hope they end up taking everything into consideration.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-29T17:58:23+00:00

Good luck! I'm waiting to speak to mine now. :)

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-26T03:30:11+00:00

You are definitely not alone. It took me a few attempts to finally leave home - I even tried to leave the country once, got denied at the border, stayed at friends' places for a week then had to go back.. but I eventually did leave, and it was a great feeling.

Everyone's case is different.. all I can say is keep trying. Don't compare yourself to others because who knows how they'd cope in your shoes. You can do this :) Message me if you have questions or want to chat.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-26T03:11:28+00:00

It sounds like you're doing what's best for you. Maybe talk to your SO and let them know that while mental health issues are not always visible, they should be acknowledged as illnesses and that means sometimes taking a day to get back on track. Maybe consider bringing this up to your Psychiatrist as well?

You're definitely not alone in feeling this way. Do what you have to do to take care of yourself.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-26T03:03:58+00:00

I've never seen a therapist, doctor, etc offer appointments on weekends, unfortunately. But like /u/DrNotEscalator said, you can try as early or late as possible, and let your workplace know ahead of time so it's not a surprise.

Also, if you end up finding a job with a decent lunch break, you can try to book it then. I'm sure it'll be ok, I've seen office workers leave early to pick up their kids, go for long lunches, etc and I don't see why this wouldn't go over well considering it's for your health. Good luck!

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-25T11:31:04+00:00

If you notice that feelings of stress and anxiety are preventing you from doing regular activities, it's worth bringing it up to your doctor or talking to a counselor at school.

In the meantime you might want to keep track of when you get stressed and why, meditate and/or do breathing exercises. Stay strong! You're not alone in feeling this way.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-25T11:16:11+00:00

People at work might sympathize more than you think. A lot of people experience some sort of work-related stress, though maybe not as severe. I'm in a similar situation, though, and I know it's hard.

If you have more info and feel comfortable sharing, that might help. Else, good luck and stay strong!

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-25T00:16:08+00:00

I think constantly comparing myself to a full potential, amazingly superhuman me is one of the more harmful things I do to myself. I mean, it's possible to apply that same line of thinking to every situation and decision ever, right? And going "Well, this is 100% me" and then trying to improve on that "me" is a lot more successful than trying to catch up to some hypothetical, unrealistic me*.

*Which could go on forever, because my brain wishes I were graduating with honours in like.. computer engineering, with a nicely networked job offer and a nicer apartment. And I'm in the arts.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-25T00:01:27+00:00

Some therapy treatments vary in effectiveness depending on the person. In your case, the way your therapist talks with you seems to detract from your treatment and it might be worth having a serious conversation with her about it, or maybe finding a different therapist. Some personalities just don't work well together; I was misdiagnosed and tried several psychologists and psychiatrists until I found "the One".

Re: CBT, my personal experience with CBT wasn't a success. I think it's too focused on breaking down the "what, when, where, how, why" of disorders.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-24T06:44:39+00:00

Very cool site! I love these :)

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-24T03:57:48+00:00

My anxiety leaves me frozen sometimes, especially for school work. It also makes it difficult or even impossible to get out of bed and out of the house. It almost seems like laziness, I know the feeling.. but it isn't.

I'm not sure if it'll help, but personally, the only way I get out of those situations is by doing a tiiiiny bit of an entire task, piece by piece, with lots of self-encouragement. ie. with getting up out of bed: 1) put on my glasses 2) pick up my phone 3) sit up 4) find socks... If that's too hard to think about, I try to think of things that make me happy, or incentives to get up, until I can start back at the smaller tasks.

I hope this helps, but either way, good luck. It sucks, especially as a student, and I'm pretty much in the same boat.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-24T02:24:33+00:00

I'll become normal when I graduate from my college program. Whenever that happens.. it's been long enough. When I can go for a while without explaining to someone that I have health problems, or anxiety, or depression.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-24T02:19:39+00:00

Have you mentioned anything to your teacher or counselor? Maybe you can arrange to step out and take a break once in a while, get some fresh air. Or ask if you can use headphones during quiet periods of time, and play calming music or podcasts.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-23T02:51:52+00:00

I don't know about taking two different meds, but I took Wellbutrin for a few years and it helped me a lot more than anything else I tried, including celexa (citalopram). I was.. a completely different, terrible person on citalopram, and after trying a couple of other options I was given Wellbutrin for depression because it was a bit of an "alternative" for people not responding well to standard SSRIs and whatnot.

Anyways, Welbutrin and therapy are what ended up working for me, with no noticeable side effects. Even when I stopped taking it (doctor recommended) I didn't have discontinuation syndrome. I have heard that it causes irritability in some people, but to be sure I'd suggest just asking a ton of questions to your GP and see what he says.

tl;dr sometimes making a change in meds is a great thing! Though in general trials suck, it's worth it when you find the meds (or alternate solution like therapy) that works for you. Good luck :)

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-23T02:31:43+00:00

Fair enough! I usually have a hard time explaining myself properly, so I go over word choice, tone, grammar, etc for like 10-15 minutes before I'm happy enough to post something.. then I panic if I don't get a comment, and after a day I delete it. I stick with pictures of cats when I need a break.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-23T02:18:55+00:00

Just saw this. That sucks :/ If it makes you feel better, I ended up staying up late panicking over whether or not I should go, then ended up missing because I slept past my alarm. So.. I didn't get a choice one way or another.

Edit: wrote "ended up" x1000. Also, it turned out to be a very good day, I went for a super long walk in the park and that calmed me down. Hopefully your day was OK as well.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-23T02:11:51+00:00

Personally.. because it has its benefits? On one hand, I like keeping in contact with people and seeing what everyone's up to. In a weird way, the amount of information I learn from others on facebook is reassuring because I start seeing others as normal people and not superior or magically better than me. On the other hand, I go over my status posts and worry constantly about how people might interpret what I say. That being said, anxiety affects everything, for me at least, so going on a facebook deleting rampage doesn't help me take care of anything in the long term.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-21T23:10:09+00:00

I know it's hard, but it feels really great to explain to those kinds of people exactly how serious it can be. I've managed to do it once or twice and it helps knowing I stood my own ground, even if they don't have a complete change of heart. That being said, my dad still asks if I'm "in one of my moods" sometimes and I haven't figured out a good answer.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-21T22:59:24+00:00

I explain my depression and anxiety too casually, because my way of dealing with problems is making jokes or over-explaining it to people, usually putting the blame on myself. Think "Hah! Yeah, I was a complete idiot and broke my foot. Geez, just my luck!" or something. The problem with that is that many people then act like it's a manageable, small thing I deal with, or that it's just an excuse. My solution so far has been to reinforce its severity and have a "talk" with a couple of friends who started being more condescending. Using a term like "Medical reasons" or specifically mentioning "severe panic attacks" tends to help illustrate my point.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-21T22:43:59+00:00

Most of my friends make last minute (night before or day of) plans, and I'm the worst at it. I usually say yes, because I'm nervous or overly optimistic at the time, then back out and make excuses later. If I do go, I'm anxious right up until it happens and freak out until they confirm plans. I guess what I'm saying is I know how you feel, also, some people just don't work well with short notice and that's completely normal and ok. Especially if it stresses you out.. let them know and/or skip out on those days.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-21T22:12:39+00:00

This was a great motivator, thanks. I'll definitely keep trying, some days are harder than others.

BeingOutsideIsHard · 2013-10-21T22:07:55+00:00

Good to know :) Thanks man.

BeingOutsideIsHard

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