Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Exam time can be really stressful and put a lot of pressure on you and the people around you. Sometimes this can mean it’s harder to cope with other things that are going on in your life.

It can help to break things down into smaller chunks to deal with. Perhaps you could first think about getting help and support to cope with the exam stress. Have a look at the Beat Exam Stress booklet. We also have top revision tips and message boards where you can see how other people are coping. You could share this information with your two friends and see how they are coping with the exams.

It sounds like you are really down about the way you’re being treated by other people at school. I’m worried to hear that you’ve started to accept their comments about you being a weirdo, rude and insensitive. It’s not okay for people to behave like this towards you and to make you feel bad about your physical situation. This is bullying. It's never okay.

School has a duty to keep you safe and to protect you from bullying and they can only do this if they know what’s going on. Perhaps it would be worth thinking about speaking to a teacher or support worker at school about it.

You mention your walk being jerky and lopsided. It’s unclear from your message how long you have been struggling with this and whether you have medical support for it. From what you say, your physical situation is having a very big impact on you. And I’m concerned that it is getting to the point where you don’t want to be around people or even be alive. It might be good to talk these feelings through with an adult you trust, like a family member, teacher or your medical professional. 

It can be hard talking about your feelings, but if you ever did get to the point where you felt you could no longer go on living, you could get help by phoning 999 for immediate help or contacting a counsellor for support.

Take care for now,
Sam