[dolphinlover8]

I am going back to school tomorrow and I have so much anxiety. It's so bad that I even cried last night about it and my stomach hurts today. It's my second year in high school so it's not a new school to me but I still don't know my way around. What if I get lost and there is only 4 minutes between classes. I'm just so worried about everything. Then what if my stomach starts hurting tomorrow while in school or at lunch I have no one to sit with. I have a lot of anxiety. My therapist doesn't really help me with my anxiety and when we talk about it she acts like its no big deal and its not a problem but it really is. My old therapist who moved away was so good about handling anxiety. I want him back so he can help me but that's not an option anymore. I don't know how to relax and get my anxiety under control.

[kaliope]

I am sorry you are struggling so much right now. I know how you are feeling though. I started college again and I am struggling with much anxiety myself and my t just likes to say I am an anxious responder. what would your old therapist have told you to do? do you remember? imagine having a conversation with your old t and what he would have told you to do to calm your fears and maybe you can come up with some things to soothe your fears. take care.

[dolphinlover8]

It's hard to remember what he would usually say because its been over a year since he moved but I do try to remember as much as he told me before. He use to tell me to imagine being in my room or somewhere where I felt really comfortable and imagine small details(ex. smell,favorite food,what's around me etc) He use to tell me to close my eyes and he would tell me something but I don't remember what he would say. He did many things but since its been over a year it's hard to remember everything and what he would tell me to do right now.

[A Red Panda]

If you were there last year, will you be able to see people who you got to know a bit last year? If you do and you haven't seen them since last year, then there's a whole summer's worth of stuff to get caught up with - you'll find out who is in your classes and hopefully there's someone in the class before lunch who you can chat with and spend lunch with.

If you get lost, just walk into the nearest classroom and ask the teacher where the room is that you're looking for. If it's between classes then there won't be anyone in there.

((I don't know if this will make you feel any better, likely not, but I'm a teacher and I totally get back-to-school anxiety. I worry that my class will hate me and that my coworkers won't want to talk to me. By the second day back that anxiety's almost always totally gone. I hope yours will pass soon too!))

[dolphinlover8]

Thanks for the advice! I don't really have a lot of friends. I have 2 but what are the chances of being in the same class with them. I really shy so I'm kinda nervous/scared to ask teachers for directions.

[June55]

Teachers don't bite. First days are hard for everyone. Going through expectations and such.

Not having seen everyone for a while. Will they ask 20 questions about my summer that I don't want to answer? Will they judge me because I didn't travel anywhere? Will they still like me?

Clothes don't fit. Nothing looks right. I can't do it.

New classes. New people. New material.

First days getting back into routine. Making sure schedules work. Even first week is just papers and organizing.

I totally get it. Feeling anxiety about going back. Just know you aren't the only one. It might seem like it but really you're not. The days get easier for the most part in terms of anxiety.

I doodle, scribble, scratch off nail polish, chew gum. They sometimes help when I am anxious.

Good luck.

[Mustkeepjob32]

Let us know how the first day went!

[dolphinlover8]

It went ok. My classes are all near each other but I don't have any friends in most of my classes. I only sit with one other person at lunch. Neither of us have any friends in the same lunch. I had to ask one teacher where to go but everything else I found myself.

[Mustkeepjob32]

I guess I would ask you, was the experience as bad as you had imagined it? It's OK that you sit with just one other person at lunch, it's more practical anyway.

[dolphinlover8]

It wasn't as bad as I thought with the anxiety I had/have still. I think one reason(with many other reasons also) I had so much anxiety about going back to school was because last year it was emotionally hard for me. I was going through a lot last year and it was a struggle for me to make it every day in school without crying or talking to a guidance counselor. I'm just hoping its not like that this year and my classes get better and I actually make friends. I lost a lot of my friends last year and I think that is because I was so quiet.

[A Red Panda]

Hey, congrats on the first few days not being quite as stressful and you were sure that they would be! That's great. I hope your stress will continue to go downwards now that you are back.

((As to mine - my tough bunch of kids have been behaving awesomely so far. I've even got the toughest of the kids to participate and do the work that everyone else is doing! We did, however, have to practice lining up and walking down the hallway. hahahaha))

And one person to sit with at lunch is 100% more than sitting with no one. As the term goes hopefully the two of you will each meet more people and the group can grow! ((and, if the two of you notice anyone sitting by themselves... especially if you recognize their face....go and sit "near" them and then invite them to join you - cause it'd most likely mean that they're pretty shy too!))

[dolphinlover8]

Thanks! What grade do you teach? Im glad that things have been good for you so far dealing with the kids.

[A Red Panda]

I teach grade 4. hada. They're an adorable age, and really, they're still young enough that at the end of the day they just want you to be happy with them. But they want to talk to you about all sorts of things too. I'm totally laying down the law and being a harda**, but I'm a lot of fun and overall extremely nice, so it's going well. I just have my expectations and they WILL be met even if it kills me. hahahaha. They're learning quickly and are so far behaving 110% better than they did last year.

How did your first week turn out then??

[dolphinlover8]

That's good that you have such a nice class. Yeah you kinda have to be a little strict or else they will just be out of control throughout the whole class. My history teacher last year didn't really have many rules and the whole class talked the whole time and acted immature. (I was a freshman last year so that's why) Hopefully your class will continue to act good. I heard usually when kids start to get comfortable with each other is when they start talking more during class.
My first week was good. I actually didn't even need to look at my schedule yesterday. Already have it memorized lol. I'm starting to know the building a little better and my way around too.

[A Red Panda]

That's excellent! How's lunch been treating you?

And my class were TERRORS last year (I am talking about the kids I have now). They were absolutely horribly behaved, and I've told them soooo much that now that they're in grade 4 that is just NOT ACCEPTABLE and they are learning quickly. They all know each other except for 1 new student, and they also know that I mean business. haha. They'll learn quickly that I'm a Jeckyl and Hyde with them - and that they're in control of that. If they're good I'm a nice happy Dr. Jeckyl. If they're being rotten, I will quickly become Mr. Hyde. bahaha.

[avlady]

Good Luck, just give yourself a chance, it will work out!

[dolphinlover8]

Thanks! @ avlady
Lunch has been good. Still just the two of us but its actually good because I use to be really good friends with this other girl then we didn't see each other for a while and we are starting to get close again like we were in elementary school.
Lol you have to be like that or else they will just walk all over you.

[A Red Panda]

Hey Dolphin!! The first full week is over - how did it go???

[dolphinlover8]

It went ok. I'm getting back into the swing of things slowly. Getting use to my classes etc. Is your class still behaving like they were?

[A Red Panda]

That's great dolphin! Yep, my kids are going great!

My biggest challenger got sent home late Friday afternoon - we had a fire drill. He didn't quite cooperate, and he yelled and said something rude to my TA as we were coming back inside. I told him that it wasn't appropriate or something, and he yelled something back at me and I just went "Office, NOW!" and off he stormed yelling. He then yelled in the principal's face and she sent him home. He almost made it a full week! I think that's a record for him. haha.

[dolphinlover8]

Oh wow. Sounds like that kid is someone who just wants to get their way with things. Hopefully he will learn to behave the right way. I don't know if you said this before but what grade do you teach? By the way if you want to pm instead you can.

[A Red Panda]

They're grade 4. A lot of my kids have had troubled backgrounds, so it's ok. I'm giving them a very consistent (and stern, and loving) environment and I hope that they'll be able to relax some with me and learn how to handle things in a calmer manner.

[dolphinlover8]

Yeah that's good that your giving them that. Their still at a young age so they need that.