HELP!!! Taking a break from school for depression???

Question

Hi. I just need some more thoughts on this. Speak your mind. I’m not new to struggling with anxiety and depression. This post will probably be long, but please hang in there because I need help. 
I’m 16 years old, and a junior in high school. I skipped first grade because I was always smarter than everyone else in my classes. With that intelligence, I became obsessed with my grades and with making straight A’s on everything. I remember when I was little, if I didn’t get an A, I would cry and “worry” about things I couldn’t fix. Looking back, those were panic attacks. I’ve had depression and anxiety all my life, but never this bad. Just in the last few years (really ramping up freshman year) it has gotten noticeably worse. I take all honors and AP classes and I’m absolutely loaded down with work. 
On July 2, 2017 (end of freshman year) I overdosed and almost died. It was bad. I just wanted to be gone. Things got a little better after that, but in the last few weeks, it got so bad again. Two weeks ago, I was hospitalized and put in a psych ward for wanting to commit suicide. That changed a lot for me, but missing 2 weeks of school has set me back tremendously and that’s all I can think about now. 
I went to my primary care physician today who has seen me since I was born and he felt really bad. He hugged me, prayed for me, and was just really supportive. Then he mentioned school. He told me that if I felt overwhelmed and needed to take the rest of the school year off, I should. He told me it doesn’t matter when you graduate. It’s the mental health that matters. 
I know I’m the only person who can make this decision, but I’ve really considered what he said. I need a break. I need to get away from the work. I just don’t know what to do. I’ve always been at the top of my class planning to go to UNC Chapel Hill or even Harvard Medical School. This would set me back so much and I wouldn’t get into the school I want. Both of my parents completely support what my doctor said, I’m just stuck between a rock and a hard place. 
If you all were in my position, what would you do? I need some insight on this.

Answer

So, when I was 16/17 I went through a cancer scare, bullying & knee surgery. A lot of stuff happened. I was so depressed. I was also very sick so I had missed a month of class. But, I was so depressed that I took a month off after that. I did homebound. Which is basically, your teachers give you a textbook and your parent can pick up all the class work & homework each day for you to do at home then they can drop it back off when you’re done. That helped me stay in track for the most part. When I went back to school, I still had a lot of work to do to get completely caught up and it took awhile but my principal knew what I had going on and so did my teachers. They helped a lot. I was given notes for my guidance counselor to get out of class when I needed too. My school also
allowed students to bring in prescription medicine with a note from your doctor. The meds stayed in the nurses office in a locked closet. I had my anxiety medicine there, so I was allowed to leave a class and go take one or just go and sit for a little. I was still missing a lot of school because of all the doctor appointments for the cancer tests & everything else but if I let my teachers know when I wouldn’t be there, they would have my work ready for me to have so I could still do the work then hand it back in when I returned the next day or whatever. 
Hang in there. It does it better. I went from having a grade of 9. NINE in math to passing with a 98. My school only allowed 12 unexcused absents, I had over 20. But If i had a doctor note, it didn’t count. Altogether for that year so had over 60 missed school days. My school let me pass the grade. It’s hard, but you can do it. If you need a break, talk to your teachers, principal.. even the school board if you have too. They will understand and help you out. Believe me, they will. 💙

Answer

As a teacher, I wouldn’t recommend taking a semester off from high school. I certainly agree that mental health and overall wellness are the priority, but I worry about when you return. Will you feel worse for having taken time off and not graduating with your class? Would it cause more challenges than it resolves? 
Perhaps you can drop a class (electives) or move out of the honors/AP course into the standard course. That way your work and stress load is lessened but you’re also still attending school. 
Another option may be only completing the essential work to demonstrate mastery of material. I currently have a student with many health challenges. He has been in class maybe 5 times in two months. He only has to do the essential work that demonstrates his skills (for my class, that means essays). He doesn’t do daily work or practice work. 
A third option might be transitioning to a virtual education program. That may allow you more flexibility to focus on your health while still taking required courses and feeling like you are accomplishing many steps to your goals (mentally and academically). 
Whichever path you pursue, I hope it brings you peace :)

Answer

I’d set something up with my school so i could work from home, and have my parents turn in my  assignments, so I don’t fall behind. I think it wild help being in your own little bubble

Answer

Ive act sudoku been in your position. When I was a freshman I had really bad anxiety and depression. I would cut myself a lot. My dad had committed suicide a few years prior and never saw a therapist or talked to anyone abt it. My anxiety was so bad my own busy went against me and I would have panic attacks and have constant diarrhea on the way to school I would have to stop somewhere every morning and shit during almost abt every class. I would cry on the way to school and in the car and I’ve day I couldn’t get out of the car and my mom had enough of it she decided to homeschool me and put me in therapy and I got prescribed an anti depressant called prozac and all of those things saved my life. I feel like a completely different person. It was really hard making the decision to homeschool but I was so numb and depressed and needed to mourn. The first few months I didn’t do anything but therapy and I suggest therapy right away. If you have insurance you can find a company that will give you therapy and medicine for free.So your not depressed pondering on bad thoughts but talking to someone. Online classes and stuff like that is expensive and hard to figure out but I found a church near me that helps out with homeschooling and giving credits. I went in a a 9th grade with no credits and a few months later I was a junior and you can still do tops depending on where you live you can find places like these. I do recommend a break that was what I really needed. Now I’m 16 and have a job and a bf and finally getting if my meds bc of how much better I feel. Ik real pubic school is tough and you can get behind if you miss. You could always homeschool for a few months and when you feel better transfer back or transfer to a private school where they might be more understanding and help you with your school. I was in a really dark place and I’m so glad and it was my best decision when I let people help me. Therapy was good the medicine made me feel even better finally homeschooling made me feel like I was getting stuff done and even better. I feel so good Moe and I hope you get here one day too. I’ll pray for you.

HELP!!! Taking a break from school for depression???

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