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Extenuating Circumstances

I’m thinking of speaking to my teacher about extenuating circumstances, I just wanted to list what i’m going to tell her and wanted to know someone’s opinion on wether i’m eligible for extenuating circumstances & possibly contextual offers at uni.

- My mum has Bipolar 2 (a type of bipolar)
Leads her to be emotionally/verbally abusive (has been like that since i was 6 and i’m 17 now)
- I’ve been in therapy for 4 years, EMDR therapy.
- I don’t have any diagnosis’s but I have anxiety depressive and PTSD symptoms according to my therapist who is a professional.
- Frequent panic attacks and inability to study at home due to trauma occurring inside my house
- My mum called the police on my dad in yr 11 (lied to them) and that still affects me now
- My therapist has social services on hold and we have a code word for her to call them (I don’t want social services though as i think it’ll do more harm than good)
- My therapist has described me to be in constant ‘fight or flight’ mode essentially saying I’m constantly tense and I cant relax
- I cant work on healing my trauma and issues and they’re ongoing and it’s not safe for me to heal from anything until i move out
- I have dyslexia and slow processing
There’s a lot more but yh just wanted to know if I would actually benefit from telling teachers/uni about my circumstances or if it’s pointless. Thanks in advance!!! (I’m not looking to go to amazing unis aha not smart enough for that - Plymouth UWE Bournemouth level)

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 1

bones-mccoy

If your situation is affecting how you perform in assessments then it would be a good idea to let your school know. You can attach extenuating circumstances alongside your UCAS application so uni's will be aware of how your grades may be impacted and can offer you the support you need when attending.

Reply 2

Pathway

Alongside what @bones-mccoy said, it might be worth getting official diagnoses. Are you under the care of a MH team?

Reply 3

14t

Original post by Pathway

Alongside what @bones-mccoy said, it might be worth getting official diagnoses. Are you under the care of a MH team?

I have a therapist but that’s it. Do you possibly have any advice on how I could get a diagnosis (kinda soon) and without my parents knowing as they’re a bit difficult. Thanks!

Reply 4

Pathway

Original post by 14t

I have a therapist but that’s it. Do you possibly have any advice on how I could get a diagnosis (kinda soon) and without my parents knowing as they’re a bit difficult. Thanks!

Assuming you're over 16, you can speak to your GP without your parents involvement (unless you are directly at risk, e.g. suicide or getting harmed).

Reply 5

14t

Original post by Pathway

Assuming you're over 16, you can speak to your GP without your parents involvement (unless you are directly at risk, e.g. suicide or getting harmed).

Ah okay, I’ll see if i can get an appointment soon. Should i ask them for a diagnosis or for a referral to a psychiatrist?

Reply 6

Pathway

Original post by 14t

Ah okay, I’ll see if i can get an appointment soon. Should i ask them for a diagnosis or for a referral to a psychiatrist?

They can diagnose depression and anxiety, unsure about PTSD though (my CPTSD diagnosis was given in secondary care by my psychiatrist back then). They may or may not refer you to a psychiatrist as you're in a weird age group (16-18 aka getting towards adult services, but not quite). But given your history they probably will, though.

Reply 7

14t

Original post by Pathway

Ah okay, how long does the process all take on average? Thanks for all your help!

Reply 8

Pathway

Original post by 14t

Ah okay, how long does the process all take on average? Thanks for all your help!

Depends on various factors, like wait times and urgency (e.g. are you self-harming, suicide risk, eating disorders, psychosis, other complicating factors like being in foster care, etcetc.). I can't give you an exact time scale. But I will say that the pandemic probably has put a spanner in the works from that POV as things slowed down massively across the NHS, including within mental health services.

You're most welcome.