Work problems

[Gwen123]

I'm at Uni and my anxiety is affecting my ability to concentrate on work, which makes me more anxious when I get behind. I'm currently doing an assignment that's due Tuesday and I don't think I can get it done in time. I can work for about 5 minutes max at any one time before my concentration goes and I have to take a break. This makes my anxiety worse because I really think I'm going to fail, even if I do finish and submit it. I couldn't even figure out what to do until I nervously asked a friend on Friday. I'm trying to get an extension but need evidence (doctor or therapist's note) and have to submit it tomorrow but I don't know if I can get a note from my therapist by tomorrow and definitely can't get a doctor's note by tomorrow (unless anyone can tell me how to get one fast). It's really stressing me out. If I have to resit the coursework I won't be able to graduate in the summer with my friends, I'll have to go to a later one. If I do manage to submit it by Tuesday it won't be good quality and I'll get a low grade and then I might not get onto any graduate courses I want to do. I don't know what I'll do if I can't get an extension.

Sorry, needed to rant. Can anyone help please?

[whiterose]

I'm at Uni and my anxiety is affecting my ability to concentrate on work, which makes me more anxious when I get behind. I'm currently doing an assignment that's due Tuesday and I don't think I can get it done in time. I can work for about 5 minutes max at any one time before my concentration goes and I have to take a break. This makes my anxiety worse because I really think I'm going to fail, even if I do finish and submit it. I couldn't even figure out what to do until I nervously asked a friend on Friday. I'm trying to get an extension but need evidence (doctor or therapist's note) and have to submit it tomorrow but I don't know if I can get a note from my therapist by tomorrow and definitely can't get a doctor's note by tomorrow (unless anyone can tell me how to get one fast). It's really stressing me out. If I have to resit the coursework I won't be able to graduate in the summer with my friends, I'll have to go to a later one. If I do manage to submit it by Tuesday it won't be good quality and I'll get a low grade and then I might not get onto any graduate courses I want to do. I don't know what I'll do if I can't get an extension.

Sorry, needed to rant. Can anyone help please?
i went to the pysch ward the fall semester of my senior year in college. missed two months and returned my spring semester and graduated on time. talk to your doctors. counselors and professors to see what can be done for you. i did and my professors were willing to help out big time. so it can work out...good luck!

[Fahrenheit]

I would say try your best, and even if you can't get a not in time, plan to talk to your therapist about how to start a conversation with your professors so they are aware of your anxiety for the future. Also, remember that this is one assignment, and getting extensions every once in a while is pretty normal. Can you have an initial conversation with your professor without the note? You still have a few days. Good luck! I remember how stressful uni was for me, I don't envy you that at all.

Take care and be patient with yourself. Let us know how it all works out.

[Gwen123]

I can't get any help without a note. I got an extension on my last assignment but it was only 2 days even though the doctor's note said "please give this student an extension." The lecturer in charge of extensions is really strict, even though she knows my situation. She doesn't make it easy for people who are going through difficult times. I doubt I can get any help from other lecturers because I don't think there's anything they can do themselves. And I know that this is only one assignment but all the other assignments that I've done bad on were only one assignment as well. I hate anxiety. It's a bitch. Sorry for moping. My mind is ridiculous. I know I need to sleep now otherwise the anxiety will be bad tomorrow, but my mind is saying how can you go to sleep when you have all this stuff to worry and be anxious about? It makes no sense!!!

Thanks for your help, I hope you're doing ok :)

[Fahrenheit]

Hey, don't worry about it. That is what this forum is for.

Yeah, it is a lot tougher if you don't have understanding professors. I don't know your situation, but it might be best for you to take time off school if the anxiety is really debilitating and ongoing. I know that decision is also really stressful, because it come with its own host of consequences, but graduating later is not the worst thing in the world. It might not come to that, but I think that if you give yourself the permission NOW to do what it takes to take care of yourself, that might ease the anxiety the slightest bit - even if you don't decide now exactly what taking care of yourself entails. I also think it will be helpful for you to talk to your therapist about what you are going through and what your options are. I know a lot of people who had to take time of school to deal with their mental health, and they are doing fine now! It is just like having physical illness - you have to put your health first.

I hope you can at least get some sleep. If you are not able to be productive anyway, I think you should try to give yourself some rest, and set aside worrying about school for now. I know that is more easily said than done, though. ;)

Good luck! Let us know how things work out.

[Gwen123]

Thanks guys :) I got the extension and the anxiety's calmed down a bit. Thanks for being there and for your advice and calming me down. I'm planning to stay for the rest of the semester, as this is the only big assignment for the rest of term, but I'm not sure about next semester. It's tricky but it'll work itself out. Take care of yourselves and message me on here if you ever need someone to listen :)

[lolfeg123]

Oh gosh.. I was in the same dilemma last semester. Given my high anxiety symptoms, I couldn't take the time to proof read my assignment, so I just had to submit it with a lesser quality standard. Luckily, it turned out well, perhaps more better than I expected. It's good to hear that you have been granted an extension.

[Gwen123]

Things are getting worse again. I got anxious last night looking at jobs because I don't think I'm going to get the grade I need to get the jobs I want. I woke up feeling depressed thinking I won't ever be truly happy and happiness is temporary and I'm not going to get a good job and I'll always regret not putting in more effort at Uni (I think the depression is PMS but can't be sure). I've not been to lectures in a week now. I've got 3 other assignments to do by next week. I told my family I want to go home and they're saying I'll be home in 3 weeks for Christmas but I mean I want to come home now and not be at uni and I want to take the rest of the year out and resit. I'm sick that this is a constant battle, that even when I'm feeling better I have to pick up after myself because of what I've missed when I was down, and I always know that anxiety and depression are going to come again. I feel like this is harder than it should be. If I don't get a good grade people will always say I should have put more effort in but I don't know how much more I can take before this becomes unbearable.

[Fahrenheit]

I think one of the hardest things about anxiety is the way it projects itself into the future. It is one thing to deal with the anxiety you have NOW, but when you look to the future and imagine more of the same it is easy to exhausted and overwhelmed - especially when you are young and are faced with the task of finding a career and making a life for yourself. I don't know what to say about that, except to try as much as you can to deal only with the task that is currently in front of you. Take care of what needs your attention now, and try to stop yourself from catastrophizing about the future when you catch yourself doing it. There is a difference between planning for the future, and simply imagining disaster.

One thing I noticed myself doing the last time I was struggling with moderate/severe anxiety was that I considered EVERYTHING in terms of what could go wrong and what I wanted to avoid. Of course there is value in that kind of thinking, to a degree, but when you are being driven by fear that is no good. I never made any decisions based on going after what I wanted or what would make me happy, I was only concerned with avoiding pain.

Sorry, perhaps I diverged a bit, I don't know if that is helpful to your situation. Have you been able to talk to your therapist/professors about time off? I don't think you necessarily need/want to do it this semester, but even if you don't leave, just understanding your options might help you get through the moments when your anxiety peaks. If you decided after the last 'episode' (for lack of a better word), that you wanted to stay, maybe that was the right decision - it is always easy when you are in a peak anxiety moment to go back and second guess wether you did the right thing, etc. and sometimes you just have to wait the anxiety out (which is not a passive process at all) and then you will see that not everything your anxiety makes you feel is correct. Maybe you just have to power through the next month then use the holidays to take stock of how you are feeling, and what is the best way to take care of yourself.

Sorry, I feel like this post is all over the place. I don't think there is a clear answer to your struggles, so I am just throwing anything out there that I think might be useful. Take what helps and leave the rest!

[Gwen123]

Thanks :) That is good advice. I know I need to stop thinking years ahead and focus on what's happening now. I mostly needed to rant, so thanks.