I have so much on my plate right now. I'm a junior in high school. I'm constantly thinking/worrying about the SAT, college, my weight [even though I'm thinner than average], my GPA, the graduation test, my first job, my first car, my future career, my friends.. I worry about everything. It's like I have an illness because I can't stop worrying for one minute.
One of my classes really scares me because I'm not good at it. I'm scared to the point that I feel like I'm really cold and my teeth won't stop chattering and my body won't stop shaking, all because of a speech, or a test, etc.
I'm also anorexic. I'm 10-15 pounds lighter than I should be, but half of me is saying "Who cares what the average weight is? my stomach is humungous" and the other half is saying "Everyone thinks you're too skinny and you are". I lean toward the "I'm fat" side and regulate everything that goes into my mouth.
I think that my eating disorder and extreme worrying are causing me to have depression. I'm never happy unless I'm with my friends. Once I come home, I start the worrying process. I also have experienced serious panic attacks. I hate how I'm never happy =( I'm 16 and most people my age don't worry about anything except what to buy at the mall. I've gone to 3 therapists. One helped, one was okay, and another didn't, so I don't rely on therapy anymore.
katie_knows_all481 answered Friday August 18 2006, 9:47 am: Well...about the anorexia:
Don't worry about regulating so much. Just eat wholesome, nutrious foods, like fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein. I am skinny for my size and age too.
for the depressions and panic attacks:
Go back to the therapist that helped, or keep looking around for others. Sometimes i feel im neverh appy unless im with friends. OTher times, i feel i wouldn't be as happy with friends. Make the most of your happy times with family and friends.
Don't worry so much....im sure you have heard this a milliion times...focus on now, and a little bit into the future, but now just focus on school. For the class you are so nervous in, try taking deep breaths, and study extra hard.
I hope i helped! if you need anymore advice, drop a note in my inbox!! [ katie_knows_all481's advice column | Ask katie_knows_all481 A Question ]
Altruistic answered Friday August 18 2006, 2:46 am: wow you're just like me. only i'm a senior now and things still haven't gotten any better. pretty much everything i had to say, the person before me did [an excellent job too]. i talked to my friends about it and they told me to stop worrying, because right now i ought to focus on one thing at a time instead of my whole life. Cars, career, job... that comes after college so i should focus on college first. Take things one at a time, not all at the same time [like i did once] and have a panic attack [which i have frenquently]. also, talk to your friends. It'll definitely help, especially the ones who already graduated or are doing their college apps now. :)
For your class, you should definitely stay after school/class and talk to your teacher. He or she will probably help you a lot in explaining stuff you dont get and helping you on homework. If you're still not completely confident, then get a tutor, especially one that's near your age and has taken the class recently and did well on it. You should be able to find one through your school, if not, just ask around. chances are one of your older friends might be willing to help you.
Just like you, im never happy unless im with friends and once i get home i just start panicking. Trust me, a lot of people your age are starting to freak out about college and their future. On SATs, there are so many types of SAT prep books and classes you can take now. You can definitely find one in your area if you want to be extra-prepared [i took SAT classes since i was in 7th grade.. mostly because my mom made me]. Take your SAT and SAT IIs early, not towards the end of your junior year/start of senior year, because it'll just add to the stress. Try to get it over with as soon as you feel prepared.
As for college, dont worry about it till end of junior year and summer. Because that's when you start looking at colleges and stuff. Dont stress out too much [like me]. Just make sure you start your applications around now.. end of august, instead of last minute. About your car and future, dont worry about it now. First apply yourself to school and your SATs. Then college and the applications. After you get accepted to your college of choice, then you can worry about a car, though you probably wont need one if you're going off to college. A car isnt that important as of yet. I know so many juniors and seniors who dont have cars and are perfectly fine, especially if they have friends they can mooch rides off of. Your career comes after graduation, so dont start worrying about it till towards your end of college/graduation school.
As for your daily overdose of stress. breathe. if you cant handle it, talk to someone. Thats what i do and it always calms me down when my friends show me how irrational i'm getting to be. if you need someone to talk to, feel free to IM me on AIM or MSN or whatever. Just message me. I can definitely relate to you and if you need help on SATs, college, and whatnot, i'll be glad to try to help you =) [ Altruistic's advice column | Ask Altruistic A Question ]
lilteacup answered Friday August 18 2006, 12:46 am: Ok...obviously not all therapy didn't work on you...but there was one that did. Why don't you go back to the one you said helped you? Your eating disorder is definitely the first thing you need checked out.
About school..it's good that you are focusing on the SAT early...I would suggest, you buy an SAT book (amazon.com sells them cheap) and study hard...and take it around the end of your junior year..well like March. You want to start studying early...but you don't have to at the moment.
As for your future...don't worry about it now. As long as you do well in school, you'll be fine. I mean think about it...what else can you do about it. If you stay on the right path...then you know you will be alright. So...don't freak about it. Even if you are in college...it's not as if you have to declare your major. So please calm down...all this additional stress is not good for you...take it from someone who has had her share of stress. Breathe...and don't worry about it now.
As for a car and a job..maybe you are just not ready for it...why not wait til the summer to get them...you should be less busy and won't stress over it...so by the time school starts again...you'll have the hang of it.
The graduation test...again as long as you are doing everything you are supposed to do then...you have no reason not to pass the test.
Ask your friends for help and support...it'll make you feel better.
If you are scared of getting a bad grade...don't hesitate asking questions in class (even if you think you sound stupid)and even if you need to get a tutor...get one.
I hope everything works out for you. Please stop stressing...just remember you can't do anything about certain things right now...it's out of your control. Just work hard and you'll be fine.
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