Depression and A Levels

I'm pretty sure that I suffer from clinical depression and it's really affecting my school work - I have days where I just can't get myself to sixth form and even if I manage to go I can't concentrate or do any work, and can't motivate myself to do the work at home. My grades are seriously being affected by all this, I've dropped from getting straight As to getting Cs and Ds.

Has anyone else has a similar experience? What have you done to help? Would it be worth seeing a doctor to get medication and so that the school can be made aware that there's a problem and I'm not just being lazy? Has anyone had any experience of how school can help or be lenient in these circumstances?

Thanks

Reply 1

xsinfinity

I haven't had personal experience with this, but I'd say that it's absolutely worth talking to your doctor about; they might be able to refer you to someone who you can talk to about it, or they could prescribe you something. Either way, it can't hurt. Good luck :smile:

Reply 2

becky.fm

I've had personal experience of this, unfortunately. :frown:

I went from A*'s at GCSE, to C's/D's at AS Level.

I went to the doctor after a long time of suffering, and i saw a councellor. Personally, she didn't help me at all, as i really felt i couldn't open up to her, or mention self-harming or whatever. I wanted medication, but they wouldn't give it to me until i had been seeing her for at least 14 months, and she dicharged me after 6 sessions.. :s-smilie:

School really didn't care, although i didn't tell them much. They had no sympathy, especially when it came to writing my UCAS reference.

I'm sorry to tell you this, but i didn't have a good experience regarding support/help/understanding. :no:

PM me if you want :smile:

Reply 3

freeforever

I have to say, I had the same bad experience as becky.fm, though I was put on medication after the councellor, my school was not at all sympathetic and did not take my situation into account; it showed, I got BCDE instead of straight As at AS level. Hope you have more luck though, definately talk to people, you won't be worse off than you are now!

Reply 4

Shayd

I don't mean to sound harsh but please do not think taking medication is the way out. My missus has depression, I had to give up work because of the suicidal thoughts and self harming and she went through 14 different drugs from 3 different families, horrendous NHS treatment which now is being dealt with in the courts and despite it all has recovered because she opened up to a select few and took each day at a time.

By all means speak to a doctor as all trusts work differently and you may be more fortunate, but if you have close family and friends talk to them. Depression is an illness, not a taboo subject. I am far from qualified but have ended up getting over involved at times so by all means if you need any advice or just need someone to talk to happy to help.

Reply 5

maarthalavery

Hello there, I have recently just finished completing four alevels. I have noticed that I have changed in behaviour. I constantly fell low and down, I can't eat, my mind is blank, I constantly have headaches and I feel so isolated. I hate feeling like this! I am always biting my nails and chew at my cheek until they are bleeding. Half the time I do not realise I am doing it. I am scared because it is affecting my job, family relationships and the relationship I have with my boyfriend.

Does anyone suggest anything? I just want to relax now without feeling guilty. I have worked so hard to get the highest grades and this is what I get in return.

Reply 6

Himey97

I've literally just started my as levels 2 weeks ago and I already feel like I'm drowning :frown:

What the hell do I do? Is it possible to just take three....? I don't really want to but I honestly don't think I'm physically up to it.

Reply 7

Toriar

Original post by Himey97

I've literally just started my as levels 2 weeks ago and I already feel like I'm drowning :frown:

What the hell do I do? Is it possible to just take three....? I don't really want to but I honestly don't think I'm physically up to it.

Give it a bit longer because it is normal to feel like that at first and you do usually get used to it. If it's still too much after a couple more weeks, talk to someone at your sixth form because most will let you just do 3 if you're struggling. Do you have any sort of study support at your sixth form? At mine there is a couple of people in the library you can go to if you're having trouble coping with all your work and they help you organise yourself and decide what to do about it. If you do have that sort of support, definitely make use of it. Most colleges/sixth forms will do all they can to help students who are struggling so don't be afraid to ask for that help.

Reply 8

Himey97

Original post by Toriar

Ok, thankyou :smile:

Everyone has their own PPT (Personal Progress Tutor) who kind of helps with anything and everything but she was off last week for medical reasons - I'm not sure if she's back now or not! It's reassuring to hear that it's normal to stress out at the beginning.

Reply 9

TallerThanSmall

Hello! First off, I'm sorry you're going through this. Depression is a horrible thing to experience, especially in a high-pressure environment like the second year of college. Let me go through a few ideas, and hopefully some of them can help you.

Getting yourself out of bed and to sixth form every day you can might be a good idea. I know it can seem impossible sometimes, but if you don't, it can lead to a downward cycle of not wanting to go out because you feel isolated / hopeless, then feeling isolated / hopeless because you don't get out enough, ad infinitum.

If you can try and find a good therapist, they might be able to help you out. Not just any therapist - there are a lot of bad therapists out there, and from what I've heard, the NHS's psychological services are in too bad a shape at the moment (long waiting lists, inconsistent quality) to probably help you, so you might have to go private if you can afford it. If you do decide to go down this route, don't be afraid to call it quits with a particular therapist after one session. I've heard a lot of people say therapy has been incredibly useful for them, but it took a lot of tries to find the right person. Look for experts and well-reviewed therapists online, ask a doctor you trust for recommendations, etc. Some schools and colleges offer free confidential counseling, so you might want to look into that, too. Again, though, I've heard their work can be patchy, so if you do try it, always feel free to jump out if it's not helping you.

Have you talked to your parents or friends about this? I know it's incredibly difficult to open up about stuff like this, but if you know someone who you reliably think you can trust to listen closely, non-judgmentally, and confidentially, sometimes it can go a long way.

I've generally heard it said that medication should be close to a last resort. It's not an exact science, it's often a matter of experimenting until you find the exact cocktail that works for you, and it sometimes comes with some undesirable side affects along the way. If you think you might need drugs, I suggest you try going through other options with doctors, therapists, group support sessions etc. first, and then proceed with the medication if it becomes clear after consideration that it's your best situation.

I really hope this has helped, and wish you the very best of luck.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 10

Lara99

Original post by Himey97

I've literally just started my as levels 2 weeks ago and I already feel like I'm drowning :frown:

What the hell do I do? Is it possible to just take three....? I don't really want to but I honestly don't think I'm physically up to it.

Hey I just wanted to know how things turned out for you since I'm going through something similar.

Reply 11

Himey97

Original post by Lara99

Hey I just wanted to know how things turned out for you since I'm going through something similar.

As much as I'd like to give you some motivation + positive feedback, quite honestly this past year has been Hell (for me atleast, we're all different after all). I managed to drop down to 3 subjects but still struggled immensely.. I ended up seeing my personal tutor 2/3 times a week + was also assigned an 'advisor' (or glorified counsellor haha). Achieved C, E + U grades - having previously achieved As + Bs at GCSE.. I have now switched college + studying a BTEC Lvl.3 Diploma...Initially, I did try to swap subjects but my college had failed to inform me of the deadline so I missed out as it was too late - if this is something you're considering don't let this happen! I think the deadline last year was around Mid-Sept?
My advice would be to establish how you'r feeling asap. The quicker you figure out exactly how you feel, the quicer and more easily it can be sorted. - Organisation is key this year + I found making a seperate h/w timetable really helped me avoid 'snowballing'.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you want to talk some more!
Good Luck :smile:

(edited 8 years ago)