[LelouchLamperouge]

Ok, plain and simple...I've been dealing with extreme depression and anxiety the past 2-3 weeks. Being that my main therapist who I have grown really dependent and attached to has taken maternity leave for 6 months 2 weeks ago which has not helped me with things. Past week I have been feeling/thinking worse I think. Beginning of this week I've have more suicidal thoughts in the realm of being resentful/angry that I was born, things would be so much better without me in the picture, etc. I think I got more triggered Monday and relapsed into cutting my wrist. As I was cutting, I was getting thoughts of cutting deeper to...well you know, you get the idea. Anyhow, I was hospitalized and then placed on 5150 hold...involuntary hold and got moved from the hospital er to the psych hospital. I'm back home. I don't know how to handle my situation for school. I do NOT want to ask about withdrawing from the semester and want to finish my classes. So...how do I go to my professors about this? What do I say or how do I go about seeing if they can work/allow me to catch up in the class because I am behind in my work? Even if I mention like health issues, I think they're going to ask why probably right? And if I manage to be able to talk to them somewhat about what was going on, in a lesser degree, I feel like it's going to look like I'm attempting to make an excuse. And if I should talk to my professors and tell them slightly about what I'm going through, which I'm really super sensitive and uncomfortable about, how much do I disclose to them? What do I say? How much do I say? And if I mention anything about or related to suicide. although I don't know or think I will be able to find or bring myself up to talk about that, I feel like it's a big fat scream of trying to make an excuse.

[Perna]

I would not go into any detail with the professors. I would just say you had health issues the last couple weeks such that you were in the hospital and could you have X extra days to make up the work or hand in an assignment or whatever you want to ask for. Be specific about what you want to ask for and have a backup plan if they don't go with what you want primarily, something like you'd like an incomplete please (and finish/fix it over the summer).

I'm assuming you have been doing okay in your classes up until the last few weeks? If you have been spotty all semester, I would just give up that class and retry it later.

[Sevensong]

I've been through something similar, and I went to the university counseling center, and student advocacy. You could also try disability resources if you can get documentation from a doc (at the counseling center or hospital). Neither they nor you would have to go into detail, and I'd advise against it re: suicide. They could just say you have X diagnosis, and you're seeing them, working through it, etc., and this is how it affected school. I would say approach your professors sooner rather than later, but you don't have to be specific, just say it's a health issue and you're working on getting documentation, since you've already been seeing doctors about it. Most professors will work with you. They've accommodated students before, and they're used to having things come up. Even if they wonder if you're making excuses, I don't think they even can say that; they'll still work with you as long as you can provide documentation from a doc. And honestly, most profs don't even ask for that, they just take you at your word.

[amandalouise]

I dont know about your location but here in mine teachers are mandated reporters if they suspect things like someone being a danger to their self or others. what that means in regards to a college student if a professor knows a student is being a danger tot heir self or others they have no choice but to pull the student aside, and refer them to the college guidance\mental health department for counseling and possible withdrawal from classes.

this is because there have been so many school violence situations blamed on the student having mental disorders which "made them do it"

if you were here where I am even college professors dont want a potentially dangerious situation like a mentally ill person who is self injuring and having active mental disorder symptoms get worse and something happen that may put others in a bad situation of seeing their classmate have a mental breakdown or worse.

my suggestion is that here in the USA treatment providers must have another treatment provider to be covering their clients while they are on vacation or otherwise unavailable. so if this was me I would be calling to find out who is covering the treatment providers cases while she is on maternity leave. i know many treatment providers in california and its just not done for a treatment provider to just take off for maturnity leave and leave their non terminated clients waving in the breeze. Im guessing before this treatment provider left you had a discussion on who was taking over your case while she was on leave or whether you needed to seek another treatment provider due to your termination with her (if termination was done sometimes this happens if a treatment provider doesnt plan on coming back to practice mental health care of others for 6 months to a year or more)

another suggestion maybe you can see the college mental health therapist.

another suggestion contact your insurance plan (its the law now in the USA to have health insurance that includes mental health coverage) they will be able to tell you if they have been notified as to who your new treatment provider is while this one is on leave. or whether you need to be assigned a new one.

[LelouchLamperouge]

Originally Posted by Sevensong

I've been through something similar, and I went to the university counseling center, and student advocacy. You could also try disability resources if you can get documentation from a doc (at the counseling center or hospital). Neither they nor you would have to go into detail, and I'd advise against it re: suicide. They could just say you have X diagnosis, and you're seeing them, working through it, etc., and this is how it affected school. I would say approach your professors sooner rather than later, but you don't have to be specific, just say it's a health issue and you're working on getting documentation, since you've already been seeing doctors about it. Most professors will work with you. They've accommodated students before, and they're used to having things come up. Even if they wonder if you're making excuses, I don't think they even can say that; they'll still work with you as long as you can provide documentation from a doc. And honestly, most profs don't even ask for that, they just take you at your word.

thanks for all of the advice guys. i will also go see the on campus psychiatrist next week too to see what he thinks i should do

[Yoda]

I would ask for incompletes in your classes and ask that they give you until the end of the summer semesters to finish your classwork. Ask for written notes for the class time when you were absent due to being in the hospital.

[alicetailor]

I would suggest you to let your professors know about your health but don’t go into any details.

[scorpiosis37]

I'm a University professor and my suggestion is that you get a note from the hospital simply indicating that you were hospitalized (no need to state the reason) from Day X-Z. That is all the documentation a professor needs in order to give you a short extension for health/medical reasons. If you are asking for more than a week or two extension, then I would go the route of involving disability and/or counseling services.

[LelouchLamperouge]

an update of what's going on...not so well...sorry for wall of text. just needing to vent. skip to the bottom for a TL;DR if you want

A student affairs case manager from the university reached out and contacted me in concern. I don't know how but he found out about my 5150. This makes me feel strange. I met and spoke with him yesterday. He helped me with determining how to move forward in regards to the university and with my classes and working with my professors. I felt better about it after I spoke to him because he helped me with how to approach my professors. He is emailing them too and feel like he helps legitimize everything I'm going through and makes me feel better about it.

I spoke to 2 of my professors today. The first one I spoke to was fully willing to work with me in determining the best path for me. I told him I want to try and finish the semester as I think that's one of the few or only things that could help me feel or get "better". Or it could absolutely have the opposite effect and put me in a worse state if failing to do so. He is allowing to basically ignore the points from the period I have missed. He is even allowing me to do an incomplete which is having time after the semester ends to finish all of the work that the professor would require me to do. Within a one year time frame and on my own time I think? I don't think I want to do that though because I want to try and finish the semester.

The second professor....was not willing to work with me at all or provide any alternatives for me to make up the time I've missed. I told him I was extremely uncomfortable talking more in depth of my situation but once feeling like I was backed up against the wall, I offered to show him the papers/brochure that the psych hospital gave me that I had in my bag to show proof and how serious it was for me. He said it wasn't needed and dismissed it. He said it wouldn't be fair to give someone else an advantage and had to keep the level of the playing field the same for everyone. Are you fudging serious? I was born at a disadvantage from others and its just not fair I have to be or feel like this for the entirety of my life. I don't want to be or feel like this. I wouldn't wish I was dead or never born if I didn't. People don't realize how incredibly crippling depression and anxiety can be and along with having ADHD. I'm waiting to see a neurologist as well to determine any other possible learning disabilities. So basically I have to get somewhere around an A on the final exam to pass. He said he believes in me and to believe in myself that I can do it. F u. When considering the probability of doing so is far outweighed by the negatives. Especially because I feel like that often times that my grades on exams are widely varied and cannot be guaranteed or counted on to a high degree like this no matter how much I study. I was starting to tear up and have a runny nose while starting to get an anxiety attack inside. It was hard to actually articulate anything. I asked about the idea of an incomplete but he didn't know what that was. I tried to explain to him from what I understand but he wants me to go to admissions to find out specifics about it. Incompletes are given solely based on the professor's discretion. It's up to them if they want to give the student that option. Like wtf? You should go figure it out yourself. You're the one that needs to understand what it is so you can determine to allow me to pursue that option or not. He tells me to take time to think about what I want to do and tell him next week....so I leave now and go home and my head hurts. Not to mention I'm already on probation. If the semester doesn't go well then I am dropped from the university. Then I really will go...well let's just say I will be nowhere to be found. I feel more and more backed into a wall.

TL;DR: I'm trying my best to come back and move on with the semester and be able to finish it. I've met with Student Affairs this week and felt better and a little optimistic after my meeting with the case manager because he helped me figure out where to go from here and how to work/approach my professors. He also said he would e-mail all of my professors and gave me a little relief as I felt like that would help legitimize my situation. I met with two professors today. One professor was completely understanding and provided me with all options of either continuing the semester with grades not accounting for the period I was gone, taking an Incomplete, or applying to withdrawal from the course. On the other hand, the other professor provided me no options. I tried my best to explain my situation without going into specific details but it didn't matter. He was unwilling to provide any useful assistance or alternatives. It didn't even matter that I ended up offering to show him the copies of the papers that the psych hospital gave me. He said it was no need to even see it. Now this is just making me feel even worse and putting me in a worse place...