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mentalillnessmouse · 7 years

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hello? i have depression and anxiety. however, the depression part is really not diagnosed. recently, learning for school became much, much much harder than it was in past. i have my high school ending tests ahead of me and i cant really get through them without revising and learning. is there any way to learn? also teachers refuse to accomodate me and they just see a straight A student learning less and less. also, i skipped pills for 4 days and im feeling awful? should i worry abt that?

Hi Anon,

I’m sorry to hear you’re going through such a rough time with school. I know it’s not easy to keep up with school stress when dealing with mental illness, so I encourage you to acknowledge the effort you are doing simply by continuing your education. It seems like you’re really trying your hardest - I can see that doing well means a lot to you! I was also a straight A student so I can understand how frustrating it is for teachers to not accommodate you because you have this reputation of being a good student.

When it comes to studying and learning, what I would recommend is that before you sit down to revise, make sure that your study area is tidy and free of distractions. It can be difficult to stay motivated if you can’t find anything + the regular cleaning can be comforting for some people. It might be a good idea to have your notes organised in advance before you start: they don’t have to be perfect, colorful or pretty, but organisation goes a long way in keeping us focused and in control. If you feel more motivated studying in a library or cafe, go for it. Having people around us can be motivating because we’re held accountable for what we have to get done.

Make sure to keep hydrated and eat adequate amounts of food. It’s usually a good idea to avoid junk food which tends to make us drowsy and tired and opt instead for nutritious food and snacks whenever possible.Caffeine is a helpful tool to keep us going, but it also raises our anxiety so use with caution. Showering and changing clothes goes a long way in making us feel fresh and motivated. Also, sleep. I know it’s tempting to opt for all nighters and study marathons but sleep is crucial. Not getting enough sleep reduces our concentration and increases our anxiety.

It’s usually a good idea to have a plan for your time. That involves distributing the amount of work you have in the time available because breaking things down helps make them more manageable. If you don’t have enough time to cover all the work, consider prioritising what seem to be the more important topics (maybe things your teachers spent most time on, stuff that you know is going to be in the tests for sure, things you don’t know at all vs things you sort of know) and leave out the rest. Also account for any setbacks you may face when planning the amount of time you’re going to allocate for a specific task.

It’s important to be realistic and if you feel like you can’t stay focused for an hour at a time, set half an hour and then have a break. Studying in short bursts is probably more effective than studying for 8 hours straight. If you know you’re better concentrated or less anxious at a certain time of day, try use it to your advantage. My professor once gave us a really useful tip: If you don’t manage to accomplish all that you had planned for that day, skip it and don’t try to catch up the following day. That way, the next day you can feel like you’ve accomplished something not constantly be behind schedule and have to catch up. On a similar note, it’s really valuable to recognize and celebrate our achievements however small they may appear. Little progress is still progress.

Another important aspect is to acknowledge the fact that you won’t manage to study and keep up to plan every single day. Sometimes you’re not up to it or you don’t have the energy, and that’s okay. Your mental illness is a real thing which you have to deal with and which does get in the way sometimes, and it’s not your fault. What I like to do if I can’t focus because of anxiety is to have a break of 15 or 30 minutes which I dedicate to worrying about all I need to worry about, then I get back to work. You can try out some productivity apps or perhaps even background music or sounds that you know relax you.

Remember to set time for self-care. Your mental and physical health is more important than school and tests. Set apart a couple of hours or a day for doing an activity you like, treat yourself to a long bath, a face mask or your favourite food. Setting aside a few minutes for breathing is especially important when revising because we tend to be sitting down for a long time with a cramped up posture that doesn’t allow us to breathe properly. A bit of exercise, stretching (anxiety tenses up our muscles!) or simply going for a walk tends to relax us and make us happy because brain chemicals (cliche, but true).

In conclusion, it’s about finding what works for you and going with it really. I know it’s not easy and much easier said than done so it’s okay to ask for support if you’re struggling be it from friends, family or maybe some counselling services at your school. Seeking a mental health professional or other support services at school may assist you in accessing any support that may be available.

With regards to the medication, you will feel bad after you stop taking your medication because medication causes chemical changes in our body which we then have to adapt to when we’re going off it. There is a risk of relapse and reappearance of symptoms in the same way as stopping antibiotics prematurely would cause an infection to return. If for some reason or another you would like to stop or change your medication, it’s best to discuss that with your doctor who can guide you on how to do that safely. If you feel like something’s not working with the medication, your doctor may provide alternatives but it’s never a good idea to stop cold turkey. Withdrawal symptoms from medication can last for months and it’s really not worth it honestly, especially when tests are coming up and you have a lot to revise.

Best of luck Anon!- Tea

#Anonymous #studying #mental illness #anxiety #depression #school #tests #studying with MI #skipping medication #ask MIM #tea answers

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