I’m struggling with my mental health and A-levels seem impossible
I’m in year 13 at the moment doing Chemistry, Biology and History. My GCSEs went well and I’m proud of myself for making it this far.
However recently my mental health has absolutely plummeted to a degree that I can’t explain. The pressure of exams and the fear of failure is enough to send me over the edge. In year 12 I got AAC, which was very lucky but I genuinely felt like my life was going to end while sitting those exams, having panic attacks everyday and getting little to no sleep.
I have year 13 mocks in a week and I feel like everything is falling apart. The stress of this year was unbearable with my UCAS application, juggling all the new content and my NEA for history that I’m super behind on. This entire winter break I tried studying but barely got anything done, I kept having panic attacks when things got to complicated and I didn’t understand them.
I’m considering not doing anything else and just putting my head down and waiting for the mocks to be over before I can continue catching up on content.
However I am considering just dropping out for the sake of my mental health.
I don’t have much friends and the support from my teachers is very poor even when I have asked for it. Its the lowest I’ve ever felt. I constantly compare myself to my classmates who find it effortless and always have the support from teachers. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
I want to take a year out to work on myself and become a stronger person before picking up where I left off in year 13 when I’m actually in the headspace to understand and retain information. I don’t know if it’s even possible to do. I’d like to hear others opinions on this. Thank you for any suggestions.
However recently my mental health has absolutely plummeted to a degree that I can’t explain. The pressure of exams and the fear of failure is enough to send me over the edge. In year 12 I got AAC, which was very lucky but I genuinely felt like my life was going to end while sitting those exams, having panic attacks everyday and getting little to no sleep.
I have year 13 mocks in a week and I feel like everything is falling apart. The stress of this year was unbearable with my UCAS application, juggling all the new content and my NEA for history that I’m super behind on. This entire winter break I tried studying but barely got anything done, I kept having panic attacks when things got to complicated and I didn’t understand them.
I’m considering not doing anything else and just putting my head down and waiting for the mocks to be over before I can continue catching up on content.
However I am considering just dropping out for the sake of my mental health.
I don’t have much friends and the support from my teachers is very poor even when I have asked for it. Its the lowest I’ve ever felt. I constantly compare myself to my classmates who find it effortless and always have the support from teachers. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
I want to take a year out to work on myself and become a stronger person before picking up where I left off in year 13 when I’m actually in the headspace to understand and retain information. I don’t know if it’s even possible to do. I’d like to hear others opinions on this. Thank you for any suggestions.
Reply 1
Original post
by AnonymousI’m in year 13 at the moment doing Chemistry, Biology and History. My GCSEs went well and I’m proud of myself for making it this far.
However recently my mental health has absolutely plummeted to a degree that I can’t explain. The pressure of exams and the fear of failure is enough to send me over the edge. In year 12 I got AAC, which was very lucky but I genuinely felt like my life was going to end while sitting those exams, having panic attacks everyday and getting little to no sleep.
I have year 13 mocks in a week and I feel like everything is falling apart. The stress of this year was unbearable with my UCAS application, juggling all the new content and my NEA for history that I’m super behind on. This entire winter break I tried studying but barely got anything done, I kept having panic attacks when things got to complicated and I didn’t understand them.
I’m considering not doing anything else and just putting my head down and waiting for the mocks to be over before I can continue catching up on content.
However I am considering just dropping out for the sake of my mental health.
I don’t have much friends and the support from my teachers is very poor even when I have asked for it. Its the lowest I’ve ever felt. I constantly compare myself to my classmates who find it effortless and always have the support from teachers. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
I want to take a year out to work on myself and become a stronger person before picking up where I left off in year 13 when I’m actually in the headspace to understand and retain information. I don’t know if it’s even possible to do. I’d like to hear others opinions on this. Thank you for any suggestions.
However recently my mental health has absolutely plummeted to a degree that I can’t explain. The pressure of exams and the fear of failure is enough to send me over the edge. In year 12 I got AAC, which was very lucky but I genuinely felt like my life was going to end while sitting those exams, having panic attacks everyday and getting little to no sleep.
I have year 13 mocks in a week and I feel like everything is falling apart. The stress of this year was unbearable with my UCAS application, juggling all the new content and my NEA for history that I’m super behind on. This entire winter break I tried studying but barely got anything done, I kept having panic attacks when things got to complicated and I didn’t understand them.
I’m considering not doing anything else and just putting my head down and waiting for the mocks to be over before I can continue catching up on content.
However I am considering just dropping out for the sake of my mental health.
I don’t have much friends and the support from my teachers is very poor even when I have asked for it. Its the lowest I’ve ever felt. I constantly compare myself to my classmates who find it effortless and always have the support from teachers. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
I want to take a year out to work on myself and become a stronger person before picking up where I left off in year 13 when I’m actually in the headspace to understand and retain information. I don’t know if it’s even possible to do. I’d like to hear others opinions on this. Thank you for any suggestions.
First step - call your GP (or fill in the online form or whatever), and book an appointment to speak with them. They can refer you to a specialist. If there's any other mental health support you can get, try to get it. (There is support out there for anxiety and other mental health issues, which you are entitled to have).
Next step - do you have anyone you could ask for help? Any friends in your year or the year above? Older siblings who did A levels? Ask them about topics you don't understand / make a list of them if it helps to write them out.
If something is too hard or stresses you too much, make a note of it (Microsoft Excel is good for that), and move on to something less stressful - doing something is better than nothing.You don't need a perfect understanding of everything, and you still have a long time to go.
Keep trying, but do stuff you feel comfortable with / in bio, focus on learning the stuff you do know well and on matching the mark schemes.
If you need subject-specific help (e.g. you now have a list of all the topics to ask your teachers to explain), ask your teachers when you get back to school (does your school have subject "office hours"?). If that's too stressful, there are random strangers on here who will be happy to help!
(Like, I did bio and chem A levels, lots of other people did/are doing them too, and there are also people who did/are doing history on here).
I'm not sure how taking a year out in the middle of A levels works, but year 13 is a tough time, especially autumn, and it does get easier from here.
Reply 2
Original post
by AnonymousI’m in year 13 at the moment doing Chemistry, Biology and History. My GCSEs went well and I’m proud of myself for making it this far.
However recently my mental health has absolutely plummeted to a degree that I can’t explain. The pressure of exams and the fear of failure is enough to send me over the edge. In year 12 I got AAC, which was very lucky but I genuinely felt like my life was going to end while sitting those exams, having panic attacks everyday and getting little to no sleep.
I have year 13 mocks in a week and I feel like everything is falling apart. The stress of this year was unbearable with my UCAS application, juggling all the new content and my NEA for history that I’m super behind on. This entire winter break I tried studying but barely got anything done, I kept having panic attacks when things got to complicated and I didn’t understand them.
I’m considering not doing anything else and just putting my head down and waiting for the mocks to be over before I can continue catching up on content.
However I am considering just dropping out for the sake of my mental health.
I don’t have much friends and the support from my teachers is very poor even when I have asked for it. Its the lowest I’ve ever felt. I constantly compare myself to my classmates who find it effortless and always have the support from teachers. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
I want to take a year out to work on myself and become a stronger person before picking up where I left off in year 13 when I’m actually in the headspace to understand and retain information. I don’t know if it’s even possible to do. I’d like to hear others opinions on this. Thank you for any suggestions.
However recently my mental health has absolutely plummeted to a degree that I can’t explain. The pressure of exams and the fear of failure is enough to send me over the edge. In year 12 I got AAC, which was very lucky but I genuinely felt like my life was going to end while sitting those exams, having panic attacks everyday and getting little to no sleep.
I have year 13 mocks in a week and I feel like everything is falling apart. The stress of this year was unbearable with my UCAS application, juggling all the new content and my NEA for history that I’m super behind on. This entire winter break I tried studying but barely got anything done, I kept having panic attacks when things got to complicated and I didn’t understand them.
I’m considering not doing anything else and just putting my head down and waiting for the mocks to be over before I can continue catching up on content.
However I am considering just dropping out for the sake of my mental health.
I don’t have much friends and the support from my teachers is very poor even when I have asked for it. Its the lowest I’ve ever felt. I constantly compare myself to my classmates who find it effortless and always have the support from teachers. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
I want to take a year out to work on myself and become a stronger person before picking up where I left off in year 13 when I’m actually in the headspace to understand and retain information. I don’t know if it’s even possible to do. I’d like to hear others opinions on this. Thank you for any suggestions.
It sounds like you've worked incredibly hard and you should absolutely be so proud of yourself for that.
Academic pressure can bring lots of challenges, and often we hear of the impact exams and pressure can have on mental health. It's positive that you're looking for advice around how to best look after yourself and make the best choice for you.
If you feel able to, consider speaking to your GP if you haven't already if you'd like some support with your mental health. You can also find out more about mental health support options local to you via www.hubofhope.co.uk.
It may also be worth trying to seek support directly from your school/college - if you have a pastoral team that you feel comfortable going to they can often help to coordinate support within your college if that's something you want or need.
You mentioned struggling with panic attacks and we understand how exhausting that can be - especially whilst you're trying to balance your mental health with studying too. NoPanic have some great advice and resources, and also a helpline if you feel you want to talk to someone who understands and get more support and advice around this. They have a recorded 'Crisis Message' which you can listen to if you find it helps to have someone talking you through a breathing exercise/coping when experiencing a panic attack - you can find that here:- https://nopanic.org.uk/the-no-panic-helpline/ and they have a Youth Hub here too with advice and support for Under 21's - https://nopanic.org.uk/youth-hub/
If you're ever struggling with thoughts of suicide, please know that HOPELINE247 is here to support you. You can contact us 24/7 on 0800 068 4141 or text HOPE to 88247 - you can find more details for the different ways to contact us here:- https://www.papyrus-uk.org/
Reply 3
Original post
by AnonymousI’m in year 13 at the moment doing Chemistry, Biology and History. My GCSEs went well and I’m proud of myself for making it this far.
However recently my mental health has absolutely plummeted to a degree that I can’t explain. The pressure of exams and the fear of failure is enough to send me over the edge. In year 12 I got AAC, which was very lucky but I genuinely felt like my life was going to end while sitting those exams, having panic attacks everyday and getting little to no sleep.
I have year 13 mocks in a week and I feel like everything is falling apart. The stress of this year was unbearable with my UCAS application, juggling all the new content and my NEA for history that I’m super behind on. This entire winter break I tried studying but barely got anything done, I kept having panic attacks when things got to complicated and I didn’t understand them.
I’m considering not doing anything else and just putting my head down and waiting for the mocks to be over before I can continue catching up on content.
However I am considering just dropping out for the sake of my mental health.
I don’t have much friends and the support from my teachers is very poor even when I have asked for it. Its the lowest I’ve ever felt. I constantly compare myself to my classmates who find it effortless and always have the support from teachers. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
I want to take a year out to work on myself and become a stronger person before picking up where I left off in year 13 when I’m actually in the headspace to understand and retain information. I don’t know if it’s even possible to do. I’d like to hear others opinions on this. Thank you for any suggestions.
However recently my mental health has absolutely plummeted to a degree that I can’t explain. The pressure of exams and the fear of failure is enough to send me over the edge. In year 12 I got AAC, which was very lucky but I genuinely felt like my life was going to end while sitting those exams, having panic attacks everyday and getting little to no sleep.
I have year 13 mocks in a week and I feel like everything is falling apart. The stress of this year was unbearable with my UCAS application, juggling all the new content and my NEA for history that I’m super behind on. This entire winter break I tried studying but barely got anything done, I kept having panic attacks when things got to complicated and I didn’t understand them.
I’m considering not doing anything else and just putting my head down and waiting for the mocks to be over before I can continue catching up on content.
However I am considering just dropping out for the sake of my mental health.
I don’t have much friends and the support from my teachers is very poor even when I have asked for it. Its the lowest I’ve ever felt. I constantly compare myself to my classmates who find it effortless and always have the support from teachers. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
I want to take a year out to work on myself and become a stronger person before picking up where I left off in year 13 when I’m actually in the headspace to understand and retain information. I don’t know if it’s even possible to do. I’d like to hear others opinions on this. Thank you for any suggestions.
oh my god i don’t have any advice for this but when i read this istg i thought maybe i wrote this and somehow forgot about it but it’s impossible because i was in year 12 a year ago. i’m in EXACTLY the same situation right now though down to the same a level subjects, mocks situation, year 12 experiences, history NEA stress etc etc it’s like a copy past experience😭 i don’t have the option of taking a year out/resitting/taking a gap year tho because of my visa situation. hope it all went well for you tho!! if you read this please let me know how you are doing now
Reply 4
In addition to the fantastic advice already given:
There is a lot of support out there such as:
-The Samaritans, you can call 116 123, which is available 24 hours a day
-Mind, 0300 123 3393
-Saneline, 0300 304 7000, from 4.30pm-10.30pm
-The mix, 0800 808 4994, 11am-11pm
-SHOUT, text 852258, 24 hour text service
-Crises, 741741, text service
-Papyrus, 0800 068 4141, if you have thoughts of suicide or in emotional distress
-Rethink mental health, 0300 5000 927
-No Panic, 0800 138 8889
-Relate, they have a chat advisor
-NHS mental health, 111
-Side by side: https://sidebyside.mind.org.uk/ (online community help)
-Kooth, www.kooth.com, a chat, message website
-7cups, www.7cups.com, 24/7 online chat
-Support line, 01708 765200, email: [email protected]
-Anxiety UK, 03444 775 774, 9:30am to 17:30pm Mon to Friday, a text service 07537 416905
-Young minds, www.youngminds.org.uk
-Calm, calm.com
-Mental Health 24/7: 0800 008 6516
-Young minds, text "YM" to 85258, for free, 24/7 support
-hubofhope website, useful contact information for your local area.
-Nightline, usually run by your university
You can self refer yourself to talking therapies on the NHS website.
Young minds website has a variety of information for mental health, from anxiety, depression, panic attacks, stress to loneliness etc.
Heads above the waves website has great information, advice and resources regarding a variety of mental health issues.
Calm app
Headspace app
There is the mind forum
Also Facebook groups
You can join support groups
There must be sanctuary hubs based on your local area
You can contact a crises team if things get very bad
Plenty of resources online, infor mation regarding well being.
Natural methods such as taking a walk, talking to a friend, exercising, engaging in a hobby
There is a lot of support out there such as:
-The Samaritans, you can call 116 123, which is available 24 hours a day
-Mind, 0300 123 3393
-Saneline, 0300 304 7000, from 4.30pm-10.30pm
-The mix, 0800 808 4994, 11am-11pm
-SHOUT, text 852258, 24 hour text service
-Crises, 741741, text service
-Papyrus, 0800 068 4141, if you have thoughts of suicide or in emotional distress
-Rethink mental health, 0300 5000 927
-No Panic, 0800 138 8889
-Relate, they have a chat advisor
-NHS mental health, 111
-Side by side: https://sidebyside.mind.org.uk/ (online community help)
-Kooth, www.kooth.com, a chat, message website
-7cups, www.7cups.com, 24/7 online chat
-Support line, 01708 765200, email: [email protected]
-Anxiety UK, 03444 775 774, 9:30am to 17:30pm Mon to Friday, a text service 07537 416905
-Young minds, www.youngminds.org.uk
-Calm, calm.com
-Mental Health 24/7: 0800 008 6516
-Young minds, text "YM" to 85258, for free, 24/7 support
-hubofhope website, useful contact information for your local area.
-Nightline, usually run by your university
You can self refer yourself to talking therapies on the NHS website.
Young minds website has a variety of information for mental health, from anxiety, depression, panic attacks, stress to loneliness etc.
Heads above the waves website has great information, advice and resources regarding a variety of mental health issues.
Calm app
Headspace app
There is the mind forum
Also Facebook groups
You can join support groups
There must be sanctuary hubs based on your local area
You can contact a crises team if things get very bad
Plenty of resources online, infor mation regarding well being.
Natural methods such as taking a walk, talking to a friend, exercising, engaging in a hobby
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