Severe Anxiety and Homework

red_sox_7327
Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:14:23 +0000

Wow, you sound almost exactly like me. I can read about math, science, etc… online but when it comes to doing homework I have an incredibly difficult time getting started on it. I would sit down and spend hours trying to get started but most of the times I could not. So what would happen? Well, I would end up waiting until the last minute to complete assignments which exacerbated my anxiety.

One of the reasons why it was so difficult for me to start the homework assignments was because I had such a negative association with doing homework. I have OCD, Tourette’s, and generalized anxiety disorder so when I would do homework I would start to count letters in words, tense and jerk all of my muscles, start to make noises, breath irregularly, shudder my eyes, and a BUNCH of other motions.

I was not on medication this past semester and had to take the last month of the semester off during which I went to go see a psychologist because I could no longer take tests, study, do homework, or function properly. I was at the point where I was afraid to leave my room because I had become so self conscious of my Tourette’s. All of these problems I had just dealt with by myself never expressing the severity of them to my friends or parents. I had headaches most days and needed to sleep during the day due to exhaustion caused by all of my motions and rituals. Many nights I would sit in my room crying.

I received two A-'s this passed semester and 3 incompletes of which I have until mid semester of the spring term to complete. I have developed a good relationship with my class dean and am now using my schools dissability services, which are a big help. They will allow me to take tests in a separate room and receive double time. I have a lot of work to make up and it is still difficult for me to get started especially since I know I have so much to catch up on.

I am a pre-engineering major and math minor so my course schedule is very tough which doesn’t help but under no circumstances will I change my major because it is definitely the path that I want to take.

I get the same “take it one step at a time” and I just think to myself that I will bear my burden and trudge along doing what is necessary to get by and get by successfully because for me there is no other option.

ClaySoul, what kind of work do you plan on doing with your friend?