Alex's Answer
To Alex /18 July 2020
Scared about returning to school
Your Question
Hi alex, I’m really scared about going back to school. I have social anxiety and I get very nervous. I don’t have many friends and I don’t even feel comfortable around the ones I do have. My life has been consumed by worry because of school. I don’t know how to deal with it. I’m going from 3rd to 5th year so it’s going to be a big change. Whenever someone mentions school I freak out and cant stop thinking about it. I hate that my experience of learning has turned into something that I’m terrified of. I don’t understand why l feel like this. What should I do?
From Alex / 10 August 2020
Answer
Hi, you are welcome to us at Ask Alex.Â
Thank you for reaching out to us. It sounds like you have a lot going on for you at the moment. You mention that you have social anxiety and that you get nervous whenever school is spoken about. You also say that you don’t have many friends and that the ones you do have, you don’t feel comfortable around.Â
From what we understand, you are in constant worry about the school environment and you are mindful of your feelings such that when school is mentioned your thoughts are all consumed just about school. At the same time, you seem to have an awareness that your experience of learning has been impacted by the worry that you have. Â
Thoughts and feelings are a very important part of who we are. How we manage them can affect so many things for us. Sometimes it can be difficult for us to understand why some things affect us more than they do others. You have the right to get help and support around the thoughts and feelings that you have about school and friendships. You have the right to discuss your feelings with a trusted adult, maybe a parent or a relative. You also have the right to an education and to feel safe in your school when you are there.
You say too, that you have social anxiety. Have you received support for this nervousness from a professional? Maybe reaching out to them like you have to Ask Pat will help you to manage your thoughts and feelings in a better way for you. Help you to understand why you have these anxieties around your school and your social situations.
Here are two websites that might help you www.jigsaw.ie and www.yourmentalhealth.ie. Maybe you could check them out. The Childline website also has some articles that may be of interest to you www.childline.ie/top-tips-for-mental-wellbeing/; www.childline.ie/anxiety/; www.childline.ie/education-and-work/.
You can always get in touch with Childline either, who would love to hear from you, to chat a bit more about how you are. They may be able to help you look at options that are available to to. The phone number is 1800 66 66 66 should you like to talk or if you prefer to text, the number is 50101. Another way to get in contact with Childline is by web chat through the website www.childline.ie.Â
We hope this is of some help to you and that you know Childline is available to you 24/7. You are never alone, someone will always be there to chat with you. Childline are here to listen and won’t judge anything that you say or do.
Please get in touch,
Alex