Not sure if anybody can help with this, but my anxiety has been getting a lot worse lately and because my parents currently don't have any insurance, they can't afford to pay for any medication or therapy. There are a few teachers at my school who give me a lot of anxiety, but there's one that's so bad I can't even talk to him without having to fight to stop myself from having a panic attack. I emailed him asking if I could email him all of my essay/class questions instead of talking to him face to face, but I feel like that might be disrespectful and I don't want to have to email people just because I'm anxious. He's an intimidating person and I don't know him well of course (he's my teacher lmao) so I don't know how he views anxiety disorders, and I'm not sure if he understands or if he thinks I'm just using this as an excuse/thinks I need to learn to get over it. Even if he does understand, I still want to move past the anxiety I have when interacting with him. Does anybody have any advice on how to do this?
I wish I had tips for this but I honestly don't, especially since I deal with a similar thing. Just try to breathe and think of what you want to say to him before you talk to him. Imagine that he is anyone else, and try to focus on something else, like breathing.
I would honestly email him.. I mean I havent had this issue myself but I do know what freaking out about stuff does to me, and can maybe imagine what it must do to you.
I would email him and carefully explain the issue. And if he has and issue then go to him personally with someone who knows you and about your needs who can help you stay calm and communicate with the teacher.
I am not an expert this is just what I would do in your shoes based on the info you gave.
I've been practicing breathing during this class and reminding myself that even if it makes me super anxious, it'll really help me in the long run. I'm trying to remind myself that moving past little things like these help me stay on track, and if I let one teacher hold me back from getting good grades it could hold me back from achieving my dreams of getting into medical school (I know that's dramatic but it's helping)
And I have emailed him, but because so many people are asking him questions he's very busy so I don't think he read it. I actually sent him two, the first one explaining my anxiety and how much more comfortable I am with emailing him, then I sent the second one telling him I meant no disrespect and that I still very much value his class time and his help.
That's good. I'm glad that you're attempting to communicate with him and I hope it goes well.
Yeah, I'm just really hoping it doesn't cause me to break down because he really scares me lmao
You've been officially diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, right? If so, you can probably file paperwork (idk for sure how it works in your state, but in mine, you do it through school counselors) and decide on accommodations that must be made for you.
Examples: I have hearing loss, so when I was in high school, I filed what we call a 504 plan (again idk if it's different state to state…). I discussed things with my school counselor, and we decided that my accommodations would be: 1. preferential seating, up front and on the left side of the class, if requested, and 2. repeat information if asked. No, I'm not ignoring you.
My brother has been diagnosed with OCD, and has a similar plan. I don't know every last detail, but I do know that his main things are: 1. able to ask for repeats of information (same as on my plan, but for different reasons), 2. Extended time on testing and certain other times assignments in class.
These plans are unique to everyone who has them… I imagine for you, you would ask for maybe the ability to submit the material for speaking assignments electronically or on paper instead of verbally, and figure out what else you might need in a plan like this. You can put one in as a safety net, as long as you put in the conditions, "as requested."
Now, as for moving past the anxiety, I really don't know how to deal with that… I think you're better off taking the advice of AFT and Starlight on that.
Hope this helps! In the short-term, the best thing you can do is email this teacher with an explanation and hope for the best, but you're already doing that, I guess.
I actually do have an official diagnosis for generalized anxiety disorder as well as depression and unspecified fatigue disorder(?). However I felt like it would be easier to request the teacher rather than force this. But if my anxiety gets to the point where I can’t ask him questions in person, I might go to the office and talk to someone about having something arranged, because I don’t want my anxiety to get in the way of my academic performance.
Yeah… I understand that. That's why I referred to it as a "safety net," (or at least, that's how I used it… only pulled it out a couple of times). The thing is, you don't have to use it, but levels of anxiety can fluctuate, and while you may be able to deal with everything well some days, on others, you need a backup plan, and you don't know when a teacher is going to turn out to be unreasonable. You'd still have to go in and request from the teacher personally, even if you already have the plan in place, most likely. It's mostly there so the teacher is aware ahead of time and so they don't treat you unfairly. I think it's worth looking into, at least.
hey, im right there with ya. Talking to teachers, or really any authority figure can give me anxiety. Something you could maybe do about the in class questions is,if you sit near a friend, you could ask them to ask the questions for you. like write down your questions and have them ask so you still get the answers but dont get a lot of anxiety over it. That's all I got. I hope that helps a little. im sorry I cant help more.
So he responded to the email and said he's okay with it, he's just a very busy person so he might not be able to respond to the emails in a timely manner, so he suggested that I still talk to him face to face if I have a question that needs to be immediately answered.
I'm really glad he understood and didn't fight me on it because it honestly makes things a whole lot easier, especially when I'm having a really bad day with my anxiety.
That's great! Im happy for you.
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