# Should I tell my teacher about my anxiety?



## Mya (Aug 31, 2012)

We have to give a class presentation next Friday and I'm terrified. I can't do public speaking, I always end up shaking hard and blushing and stuttering. Should I email my teacher to tell her I can't do it? Or to ask of I can present it to only her after school? The thing is, I don't have any doctors notes saying I have social anxiety to back it up, and I'm worried she might tell my parents.


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## yadx (Nov 2, 2012)

hey there

i am in the same position as you are, mine is coming up next week. unfortunatly I don't think telling your teacher will do anything(it's public speaking afterall). i suppose you could try, maybe your teacher is kind enough to make some sort of arrangement with you.
other then that i really don't know what to say. i haven't quite figured out what to do myself yet. i might just skip the presentation all together(worst possible advice, do not do this) or just suck it up and do it. 

it's a horrible situation to be in and i wish you the best of luck in whatever you end up doing.


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## burrito (Aug 29, 2012)

I would try explaining the situation as best you could and maybe theyll be understanding? Its worth a shot.. explain its social anxiety and not just a little bit of nervousness.


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## JohnnyWhite (Nov 3, 2012)

Why haven't you told your parents? Try to ask your teacher if you can do it in the morning before class, so it doesn't look like you're making up an excuse for more time.


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## stressed anxious girl 19 (Nov 5, 2012)

Hi there,
my names Hannah, i'm new to the site and I would just like to give you some advice which I hope will help if you don't already know it yourself 

Some things to stop doing to help cool anxiety down a little bit:
- don't drink alcohol
- don't smoke or take any drugs (some people think drugs help get rid of anxiety when they can actually make it worse by masking the anxiety) 
- don't have caffeine
- try not have too much sugar
- exercise as much as you can, get into a routine!

as boring as that list sounds if you really want to do yourself some good try stick to it 

also look up exposure therapy it gives you a bit better understanding on how you can overcome the social anxiety. It's to do with facing your fear (a busy place or doing a presentation) and repeating it until you get used to it. As horrible as it sounds if you can put yourself through that you will benefit from it!

Go to your doctor/GP
Try not to get put on medication as this does not get rid of someones anxiety and you can suffer bad side effects from medication.
Ask about CBT - cognitive behavioural therapy

Also try find support groups in your area for anxiety sufferers. Also confidence workshops/groups - everyone else is in the same boat!

I suffer very high anxiety in social situations and although I still struggle I know that avoiding alcohol etc reduces the anxiety because as easy an option as it seems at the time because it makes you feel better/more confident for a temporary amount of time it makes it worse in the long run. I tried to hide my social anxiety with alcohol for about a year or more and used it to cope but it made things so much worse and I wouldn't want anyone to go through that it's horrible.

Also when you feel anxious try to distract yourself as hard as it seems whenever an anxous thought pops into your head think about something else. Something nice. Or focus your attention on something else. I find sucking sweets helps as stupid as it sounds.

Try your hardest not to avoid social situations as your fear will only grow worse 

Hope this helps you slightly! 
hannah
x


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## Mya (Aug 31, 2012)

I haven't told my parents because they don't "believe" in mental illnesses. Like, they literally think they're not real. They don't even believe in depression.


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## cybernaut (Jul 30, 2010)

Ohh gosh. I dealt with this horrible dilemma last semester. Except for us, it was for *English* (wtf?) class... where my professor had 2 students talk about "anything" on a daily basis until the end of the semester. Everyone had to do it. When my time came to present, I just skipped..but had to make it up. During my make up day, my presentation day kept getting pushed back each time...until the end of the semester arrived, which resulted in me never having to do it.

I know how nervous it could be just sitting there and shaking. Hell, I even felt like that when it wasn't even my time to present. I'll never know what it would be to email a professor about anxiety, but I know many will tolerate any type of mental or physical issue if you provide documentation. Like many of my professors are cool with cases like "test anxiety" or mental issues that prevent you from doing good in school..as long as you show documentation. It sucks to be honest.


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## discobiscuitsx (Nov 5, 2012)

Yes, definitely! My friend also suffers from anxiety - when we had to do class presentations she told my teacher about it (who usually seems quite stern) and she was really lovely and understanding about it. They can help make allowances such as doing it after class, or in front of just a few people. I'm sure most teachers have dealt with similar things in the past. Obviously this depends a lot on your teacher, school and what stage of education you're at.
Someone else said a similar thing, but you could offer to do it in the morning or he day before, so it doesn't look like you're just wanting extra time? Also, this will probably seem a lot harder, but it might be worth going to speak to them in person? I know that can seem a lot more daunting though. Hope everything goes okay!


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