Hopeless

[Sezza_H]

Hi all,
I am a university student who is struggling with severe anxiety and depression which is having a tremendous impact on my academic grades and ability to study and complete uni work.
All semester I have been barely scraping by, some assignments I’ve managed to pass while others I’ve failed (safe to say my academic performance has been quite varied but nonetheless I am sitting below average). I am miles behind in lectures so much so that I am not even sure where to start. Now, I’ve got two exams coming up which I haven’t studied for and an essay due which I haven’t even started, all of which is coming up this week and next week.
I can’t quite describe how I am feeling at this point; I feel super stressed, my chest feels tight and sometimes I feel like its hard to breathe. I feel sad, alone and so disappointed with myself. And you would think that I would be studying for my upcoming exams/essay like an absolute mad woman but instead I have been wallowing and procrastinating like crazy. I don’t even want to think about it let alone actually sit down and study. I have been overeating to the point where I feel sick, glued to my laptop, rarely getting out of bed yet I am so exhausted. And I am so confused as to why I continue to do this to myself. Everyone around me is studying and revising and here I am, haven’t been out of my room in days and haven’t touched my books in weeks.
I feel hopeless and I’m not sure what to do. I’ve got so much riding on this semester but at this stage passing seems like such an improbability. I can’t fail again.
Thanks for reading and giving me a platform to offload x

[quirkywords]

Sezza,

Thanks for writing your post and sharing your story many can relate to .

It is a long time since I was a student but just reading your words I can feel your anxiety and remember how terrible I felt.

You have two exams and an essay coming up so if we just look at them .

Is there a study centre, counsellor , tutor on campus that you can see who could help you..?

could you go to the library and look up some resources that will help you with your essay.

just one thing at a time. read the essay and make some points .

With the exams , can you try to revise one part say for 15 mins , and make notes if that helps. have a break go for a walk then come back to it.

Try to focus on what you have achieved:

passing assignments,

acknowledging you need help.

Look at what you are doing and not what you have not done.

Also by breaking down your exams into small bits of knowledge hopefully that will help you start. if studying with another student helps could you try that?

I hope I have not suggested too much, I just wanted to reassure you there is help available and you can start even when it feels overwhelming.

Feel free to post here as often as you like. There is support here and you are not alone.

Quirky

[Sezza_H]

Hi Quirky,
Thanks so much for your response.
I am taking what you have suggested on board and started breaking down what I have to do into more achievable parts. I have also decided to reach out to a tutor just to let them know that I am struggling.
Still feeling very overwhelmed/stressed/anxious but I am happy that I have a least started doing some work even though I have so much more to do.

Thanks again,

Sezza

[quirkywords]

Sezza,

Thnaks first your reply and I am pleased you have started doing some work. and keep reminding yourself of what you have done and are doing.

I am glad you will talk to your tutor.

If it helps keep posting here as I will be interested in how you are going,

Quirky

[Juice5647]

Hi

i understand how you feel. I used to suffer from major panic attacks when i was super stressed. I found that if I gave myself 2 hours a day to do something relaxing like listening to music or maybe having a bath something that i liked to do . It helped me relax more i still do it everyday and my panic attacks have reduced in frequency and severity.

[Sezza_H]

Thanks Quirky and Juice5647! your responses are much appreciated.

Unfortunately, I suffered another panic attack that seemed to drag on and on and it stopped me from studying. My exam is tomorrow so at this stage there's not much I can do. I'm very upset as I am aware that I will fail the exam - I only got around to studying about a quarter of the course so there's no chance I will pass. Failing the exam will mean that I've failed the entire subject so I'm not in a good way at the moment.

I feel so disappointed as I know that if I didn't have these mental health difficulties I would have been able to prepare for the exam.