I am stressed about the upcoming school vaccinations
SO at the moment i am in year 8 at high school and we have previously had vaccinations. i was stressing so much i almost blacked out and kept sweating. i did get the injections. and now some teachers have told us we are having more vaccinations in a few days and im really stressed about it! please help i need some strategies to help overcome this.
Sam
Hi there,
Being scared is a really healthy and natural emotion. It can be really helpful to stop you getting hurt, but sometimes it can affect you in ways that you dont expect. Sometimes what you imagine happening can be scarier than anything.
When you remember times that youve been overwhelmed by fear before, sometimes just the memory can make you even more scared about the future. The build-up of imagining what might happen can sometimes even leave you feeling powerless when you dont have to be.
One of the best things to remember is that whenever youre scared or panicking, those feelings will pass. The time you blacked out is a really good example, it sounds like even though it was so overwhelming you were able to get through the other side.
When youre worried about an event like the vaccinations happening again, its a good idea to not focus too much on what things might be like during the event itself. Instead it can be really good to think about afterwards, and even plan what you want to do once its over.
Whenever you start panicking or getting scared, remember that you can find ways to help yourself. Counting your breathing is a really simple way to do this. All you have to do is count to 6 as you breathe in, hold it for 2 seconds, and then count to 8 as you breathe out. Get more tips on controlling panic attacks and managing anxiety.
The ChildLine message boards can be a really good place to get ideas on how to cope. As well as that you can also contact ChildLine any time you want to talk about the vaccinations and think about ways to cope.
Take care, Sam
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