[InLovingMemory]

I start my second semester of my junior year on Tuesday. I cannot even begin to describe how much I am dreading it. I have always loved school, up until Fall 2010. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about going back. I am so anxious and nervous. I feel like I am going to hate and fail all my classes. The worst part is I am not going to know anyone in most my classes. That never bothered me before but now that I am suffering with depression/anxiety, I never really feel like opening up to and talking to people. Also, I just switched out of the Education program and now I'm not going to see my friends on a daily basis. That is going to be really hard. I hope I don't drift apart from them.
Any advice on how to control my anxiety about going back to school and survive the first few weeks of classes without crumbling apart?

Hello, InLovingMemory. If you can stop the negative thinking about the upcoming semester and remind yourself of your successes thus far, you may be able to rein in the catastrophizing.

Good luck.

[objtrbit]

Hey there InLovingMemory,

yeah, that is a really crappy feeling to have to deal with while trying to go to school. I sometimes really just don't want to talk to people, I think it's an energy thing for me, not sure your feeling on it. On going back to school in general..yeah, those are a lot of inconvienient changes-anything unfamiliar makes life difficult.

"I cannot even begin to describe how much I am dreading it. I have always loved school, up until Fall 2010."

hhhmm, what changed, was it there anything in addition to the change from the education program?

You say the worst thing is that you won't know anyone in the classes, but you also say that that kinda thing hasn't bothered you in the past-because of the depression and anxiety your experiencing?

My guess is that depression/anxiety is something you'll need to vent-
try to figure out what is at the core of that.
Makes me wonder what else you're having to deal with on top of all this.

While you're going through this, I think it's important to give your self
a lot of opportunities for breaks..reward yourself, you and your body are going through a lot of stress. Do your best not to beat yourself up,
commend yourself for even the smallest successes.

I have social anxiety, so when it comes to talking to people...I noticed that as long as I don't "make myself" talk to people, or carry that expectation against myself, I end up talking to people with no proly, but you might be going through something else, I donno.

Dreading and failing the classes...are these classes you ever actually wanted to take? Do they serve as a way for you to get where you want to go? Do they deviate from what you want? If so, that would make it hard to be motivated to take the classes, or network in your new classes.

I donno, what works for me is venting out what is going on with me, my worries etc..looks like this post is a good start in that direction for you.
You may be holding in a lot more than you realize, and I know this method could feel like sukage because it involves opening up to a degree.

Take things one step at a time and I hope you keep posting!
-obj

[jstdontdie]

well i know how you feel, i have depression too and i'm in my second year. i can't tell you that it's not going to be hard dealing with these new feelings even though you may have been feeling them for awhile it feels even worse having it out in the open and really having to face it. i remember when i first began treatment in my senior year of high school i couldn't go to school for weeks at a time. it takes awhile to reajust but you will and it takes along time so don't feel like somethings wrong with if you don't see quick results. you'll have your ups and downs but you'll begin to be able to function normally again. i find just staying focused on my work helps and not worrying about everything else helps because if do you'll fall apart. just stick with what important to you. i did lose my friends when i got depression but you find out who your real friends are and meet new people who feel like you. the worse part about depression for me is people don't really understand how I feel because i don't know why i feel the way i do. so if you need to talk i'm here