I almost find it offensive that I didn’t aboiuy some of these issues before now. My doctor habit mentioned I might lose my hair The
I’m supposed to start school in 10 days and I have so much anxiety. It’s driving me crazy. I’m working with a new , teacher and she’s all organized and strict and I am the antithesis of that. and I’m in my head trying to figure things out and I know I’m gonna be overwhelmed because I feel overwhelmed right now. And I feel like I’m going to be pushed and I cannot walk around the sign around my neck that says recent craniotomy handle with care. But I kind of wish I could. and I don’t need to be vain about it but I already have so many insecurities about the my. body or just llow esteem I guess and this just makes it worse. I realize that the closer I get to school the , more obsessive it it’s wrapped around this anxiety I have. I’m scared to go back.
I haven’t had really any side effectsll really I have not, but the losing of my hair, anxiety and mood swings not to mention a little paranoia tossed,
in- I do some effects.
Abby, please slow. things. down.
You’ve just had MAJOR surgery, to your BRAIN, that thing that operates the entire you. Not just the physical, not just the mental and not just the emotional, but the whole YOU. And everyone of them is running at maximum ATM. If you keep running everything at 100%, you run the risk of burning yourself out even before you enter any classroom. slow. things. down.
I have times in my day when I know I need what I call ‘Time out’ with no frantic stimuli. Calm. Just to relax, even if it’s walking away from a task for 10minutes, just a simple change of thought process, a re-set. Try to learn your own signs of when you need ‘timeout’. Can you start ‘part time’ to slowly ease yourself into it? When I was working I had 5-6 clients I’d see in a day. Post surgery, I could cut that back to 2-3 in a day. I could do that easily, but in a classroom that wouldn’t be possible, but reducing you hours or days might be.
There’s also some relaxation techniques that can be useful. There are some relaxation videos on Youtube that maybe useful, both for during the evening when you’re at home and for when it all gets overwhelming during the day. I was taught a few relaxation techniques/breathing techniques in rehab years ago. I still use some of them today. If I sit down and let my mind wander, it’ll take me down some awful, dark, deep, holes. I know this and when I feel myself falling into that cavern, I need to make a change, do something, anything, but sitting going tick, tick, tick, tick,… over and over the same incessant thoughts never leads anywhere good.
Here’s an idea, you’re going back into the classroom. Try and think of classroom situations and ask yourself “In my present state how would I manage “X”…?” How would I manage “Y”…? What strategies could I use to manage better/easier? Lessen your anxiety by having a mental plan to be able to manage around certain stress points. The way in which every teacher teaches is different. The age of the student/s and their understanding, depends on how you approach each. Some teachers are hard as nails, some by the book, some are soft and understanding. Some student thrive with a hardnosed, regimented teacher, but then some don’t. Trying to measure up to another teacher’s approach is difficult, especially if that’s just not you. You can’t be anybody else but yourself (and you’ll fry yourself at double speed trying to be like someone else). You need to manage for you, not anybody else.
SLOW IT DOWN!!!
Merl from the Modsupport Team