Why won't this feeling go away?!

schoolblues — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 14:22:45 GMT

For a long time now, I have had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that just will not go away. It is like butterflies but bad butterflies, if you know what I mean. I have tried many different things to try and get rid of this awful feeling, from meditation to chinese herbal remedies. Nothing works. It is especially bad when I go to sit any exam or test, to the point where I can sometimes become physically sick beforehand. I am going through my HSC at the moment so I really need this to stop. I cannot concentrate on my classwork, homework or study because of this awful feeling and as a result my once outstanding grades have dramatically decreased. What can I do? When I go to sleep at night, I often lay awake for hours unable to stop the constant agitation in my stomach. I really am at a loss as to what to do. If you are reading this I hope you can help me, because I can't help myself.

Why won't this feeling go away?!

Zeal — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 01:22:14 GMT

Hi Schoolblues,

I can tell from your post that you have anxiety. I strongly urge you to go to a doctor (GP). It’s important that you talk to someone about how you’re feeling and what you’re experiencing. Are your parents aware of everything that’s going on? When I was in my teens and had severe anxiety, my parents were a great help. I was also very stressed in Year 12, and my grades reflected this. I ended up getting a decent enough TER score at the end of Year 12, but I knew I didn’t reach my potential. If you don’t need a high entrance score to get into your course at university, then this will hopefully slightly reduce the pressure. However, I know how important it is to do your best.

As well as seeing a GP; talking to a school counsellor or a trusted teacher about what’s going on is a good idea. This way, you may also be given some extra allowances if you need them. I was able to sit my final Year 12 exams separately due to anxiety. I personally felt this wasn’t absolutely essential for me, but appreciated the consideration. What helps me sometimes is typing or writing down my thoughts when I am overwhelmed or stressed. Don’t worry about expression or grammar; just write or type stream-of consciousness style! I delete what I have typed afterwards, as I feel all the thoughts are then “gone”. Of course they’re not really gone, but expressing them does seem to help.

I am studying psychology at uni, and remember reading last year about a study (experiment) where undergrad students were instructed to write down their issues and dilemmas for 20 minutes daily. There was a control group who were only told to write down what they did during the day, rather than reflecting and writing down issues and conflicts. This was done for many weeks. It was found that the students who did reflective writing got, on average, higher GPA’s than did the control group. This shows that expressing emotions is very important for optimum academic performance. So when you feel stressed, angry, or overwhelmed, feel free to just write out your thoughts and worries 🙂

Your GP may recommend medication to help, but this is ultimately your choice. Good luck with the rest of your studies. I hope you are able to feel a bit better soon.

Best wishes,

topic Why won't this feeling go away?! in Young people

Why won't this feeling go away?!

Why won't this feeling go away?!