At school I have one support teacher I see daily as my anxiety stops me from going to some classes. Since I see her a lot I am very open to her and she is one person that knows the most about me and we have become very close. Today she told me she was leaving until February as she has other commitments and the school has allowed her to take leave until then. I am finding it really hard to know how to cope with this and I am very emotional about this. I am wondering if you had any tips on how to cope without her as she is the person in this world I trust most and helps me most with my anxiety. I know I will be able to talk to others, it just freaks me out knowing that I wont be able to talk to her for a long while. Any tips or any ways to stop the tears!?
Sam
Hi there,
It can be hard when people we trust move away. Sometimes it can leave us feeling alone and isolated. It’s especially difficult if you have been relying on that person for support and they are no longer there.
It can feel like a setback when you lose the person you trust the most, but it’s important to find ways to cope with that loss. Your teacher has been there for you when you needed it most, but that doesn’t mean other people can’t be there as well. Sometimes when a life event happens it can give us the gentle push we need to take the next step. Perhaps this could be a chance to try to find other people you can talk to about this.
Finding the right person probably won’t happen right away and you won’t find someone who is exactly like your teacher. Instead of looking for someone like her, try to think about what it is you want in a trusted person. It might be that you’re looking for a good listener, or someone who has been through similar things as you. Once you know what you’re looking for it can be easier to find people who you can start to open up to.
Remember that anxiety can be a tough thing to cope with on your own. Anxiety is a feeling of fear or panic and it can affect different people in different ways. Symptoms can be both emotional and physical and if you think that you are affected by anxiety it could help to talk to your doctor or school nurse as they could diagnose it and help put together a treatment plan for you to follow.
If you felt able to talk to your doctor, it might help to look at Doc Ready to help you plan what it is you want to say and how you want to get help.
Taking care of yourself is equally important. There are lots of things that can happen in life that could leave you feeling overwhelmed. Doing things that can help you feel better may help you to slow your thoughts, find new ways to cope and to feel happier.
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
Ask me a question
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
