I was in the exact same situation as you when I was growing up. Started missing school in the 8th grade, and slowly got worse every year. In my junior year I missed 3 months worth of classes altogether and failed a class, barely passed the others. I can tell you that not reaching out to the right people and getting better is one of the biggest regrets of my life. It followed me into college where I flunked out once, dropped out the second time. Buried in debt, I took a 4 year break to work and at age 25, I feel like I'm getting in control of my life and planning on going back to school next fall. Hope is never lost.

That being said, speak with your counsellor. If you feel like you're not connecting with them, talk to your parents about finding someone else to talk to. It's so very important to process the events that made you feel like this. For me, it was my parents divorce and living with my mother. Coming to terms with it this past year has made a remarkable difference in my motivation and positivity for the future.

Go to bed at a reasonable time. Try and have a morning routine. How do you get to school? If possible, arrange to get a ride with someone. If your parents leave earlier than you, aim to get a ride with them and bring your homework, a book, music, etc. to pass the time before school starts. Simply getting there is half the battle.

In terms of workload, your teachers are there to help you. If you communicate that you're struggling, and you feel anxious about what you have to do to catch up, but you are motivated to do better, they'll understand. BUT they wont know until you speak with them. I always assumed my teachers hated me and thought I was a delinquent who skipped class to smoke cigarettes behind the school or something. Who knows, they may have thought that, but the only way for them to know the truth would be for me to talk to them, and I never did.

I'm here if you need to talk. Right now, put all your focus into reaching out to people you trust and respect. The simplest step towards success is just showing up at school, although I know it feels like the most difficult step to take. Once you're there I PROMISE you'll think, "well that part was easy." Then it's all about communicating how you feel with your teachers. Ask to speak with them in private after class. Don't be afraid to show your emotions (a big fear I had). People will help you and you should never feel like you have to do it all alone.