College Stress Support Group

This community is dedicated to the unique challenges and stresses of being in college or university, including: relationship challenges, roommates, financial issues, academics, and questions about careers and future. College is exciting, scary, fulfilling, and sometimes a little out of control. Get support from other students and make a new friend!

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EllWillHowl 03/04/2018

Recently I had a really bad spell of depression that completely left me unable to do school work. Luckily it was right before spring break but my only option was to call my parents and cut short my week in order to at the very least have someone to monitor me as I had become a danger to myself. In the week that followed I couldn't find the energy to leave my bed, I slept for more than 17 hours at a time, getting up for bathroom breaks then sleeping again.

Because of this I missed a handful of assignments for some classes. I am catching up on them now, as I type, but one teacher in particular has refused to grade anything that is late. I understand, and may not be able to change her mind, but I do want so speak to her about my situation. I am not sure how to approach it? We are meeting during her office hours and I emailed ahead to set aside time face to face between us but how do I phrase this without sacrificing my privacy? I don't have a medical note to show her, I am diagnosed by a professonal but only registered through my school for ADHD not depression or anxiety.

Mostly I feel so guilty. I'm usually a very high-achieving student and I've always pushed myself too hard but I'm finding it hard to excuse this. I try to rationalize that I've had depression for a long, long time. I know a low when I get one and this was one of the lowest I've ever been hit with but it doesn't feel like enough.

gabrielav 09/12/2018

You shouldn't feel guilty. Most students always try to do their best in school, but what we need to understand is that our health should come first. If we're not healthy students, how do we expect to succeed? Although my post is late, I hope you went to seek a professional's help, possibly going to a therapist so that you can have someone to talk to and let out those feelings. The way I would have approached the situation with the teacher would have been to simply say I have been struggling with personal issues. Usually I am comfortable enough to explain my situation to my teachers, but since you wanted your privacy you could have said you were struggling with personal issues. I'm sure the teacher would have seen that you started off well before having this incident occur.

EllWillHowl 09/15/2018

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, every reply means a lot. I ended up having my psychiatrist help draft a note with me to give to my teacher and she signed it as well. We kept it vague but understandable and my teacher was more than willing to listen to my explanation and work with me on the assignment so that I could catch up. A positive experience like this definitely helps to dispel some of the anxiety about opening up and hopefully I’ll be able to manage easier should it happen again and reach for help sooner.

davidzanderson 10/26/2018

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keffy101 11/25/2018

I had to do this with a teacher. I'm glad you could find a way to not sacrifice privacy my teacher was more nosy and I had to throw privacy out the window so I could pass because I don't do anything but stay in bed and watch TV or sleep when I am like that.

Dtrux 11/26/2018

Hey there. I have been in your shoes before... In fact, I'm currently in that same mental space and not completing assignments either. I'm trying to realize that in the professional world, we don't often get the opportunity to do "late work" as our clientele would often seek other services if we don't provide them in a timely manner. For this reason, I'm accepting that my condition will impact me negatively, and looking for resources to use when I find myself falling into those behaviors... As someone who seems to understand the struggle, do you have any suggestions?

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