Support Group

[Cal]

Amy, I know what you're going through in terms of not bothering anymore. When I went into my Junior Cert year, I lost complete interest. My grades went down and I wasn't bothered to do anything. My attendance was fine compared to other people in my class, one guy actually missed 90 days!

Don't be worrying about your JC. You do all the work again in 5th year, trust me! And the teachers actually say to you 'The JC didn't mean anything, it was pointless', I swear to god - they actually say that! And to be honest, I was pissed off about that!

When you go into 5th year, if you skip 4th, you will actually work more. I know I can't say much, because I have spent more time in Hospital than school this year. But when I did go back, I was working really hard and so were other people.

What i'm trying to say is, when you get into 5th year, I think you suddenly realize that you have matured and that you have grown up alot and you know that you will be leaving school soon, so I think that motivates you to work more.

Sorry to go on, I hope that helped!

[~Amy~]

You did big-time. Part of the stress is the junior cert but then I think 'Well its not the leaving so I'll be fine'. The teachers... teach otherwise, lol. I've no plans whatsoever to do 4th year. Apparently its a "doss" year so I'm not going to spend an extra nine months "dossing"!

Thank you Cal!

[Cal]

So I guess you are 'dossing' school right now?

[~Amy~]

Nope, in computers room. Supposed to be doing research on the famine.

[Cal]

Ah right.

The worst affected area during the famine was The West.

[100%me]

Should I go or Should I not.

A few weeks ago I found out that my grandfather who I havnt seen or heared from in 16 years had cancer and that he didnt have long to live. Friday I found out that he has actually passed away. I didnt cry but I still dont know what I should do.As I said I havnt seen or heared from him in 16 years since my father and mother split so I dont know if I should go to the funeral or not?

I cried when I found out that he had cancer but didnt when I found out he had died.

My brother who I dont think has ever seen him has decided he wants to go.Im not to sure about my sister though.

I feel that I shouldnt go as I dont see why I should care now as he never cared about me, my brother or sister for 16 years. The only reason that my mother found out is because someone in a shop told her about him having cancer and a cousin of mine told my brother while he was in town about him passing away. So i also feel that if my mother didnt see that person we would never have known about it. Plus if I did go I would see my father and his girlfriend/wife dont know what she is actually and the step kids.

[Marieh]

I think you should go for your own good. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but what if you one day start thinking about it and then you regret not going there.

And from what you said about not having so much contact with him, this will be your last and final goodbyes.

I don't know if you get what I mean, but I really think you should go, and I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather

[flyingwithoutwings]

I have been thinking about posting this for a while now.

At school, all my friends are worried about me because I don't eat and everytime I do, I run to the bathroom to be sick. I am really down on myself and I think I am the size of a whale. I am ugly and pathatic. Whenever our coversations turn to food or looks or whatever, I block my ears and inside I cry. I don't want my parents to know and I am scared that my friends are going to tell them.

I understand why my friends may be worried that I am not eating but I can't stop and in my mind, apart from not eating, I don't think that what I am doing is wrong. Call me an idiot or whatever but it's the truth.

[MarMar]

Please tell me why my friends should be worried.

Because you'll end up destroying your body and may die?

[Jess]

I'm so confused right now. As some of you may know, I had surgery a month ago. I went back to school a week after the surgery and the teachers were really surprised that I was back so soon. Obviously, I had a lot of work to catch up on from my week off and I worked so hard over half term to get back up to date - I worked solidly over the week. As a result, I don't really feel like I've had a proper break from school for ages. Then, last night, my foot started to hurt again. This freaked me out 'cos the thought of having to have more surgery terrifies me. It was the final straw and I was inconsolable last night - worrying about my school work and my health. This continued into this morning and I went to school in floods of tears. I was a total mess and had a huge panic attack and my chest went really tight and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't go to lessons and the teachers got really worried about me, so they sent me home. My mum thinks that I'm properly depressed and wants me to go and see the doctor, but I don't really see what he can do. He'll just put me on antidepressants or stronger sedatives and I don't wanna spend my time being spaced out.

The thing is, that I don't really know why I'm so upset. I go to a really supportive school and I don't feel like I should be such a mess. But I just feel like I can't do this anymore. I can't be the upbeat and cheerful person that everyone expects me to be. I'm not behind with my work, but I'm just lacking all motivation to do it. The teachers have been really supportive and they're just saying that it's the after effects of the last month; what with the surgery, and such. But I just don't see how I'm gonna get through my 'A'-Levels, if I'm like this half way through Lower Sixth, when everyone else is coping fine. They keep saying that I can drop a subject or re-take if it all goes wrong, but that will just make me feel like even more of a failure. My friends at school don't really understand how awful I feel and the friends that do are too far away to do much about it. I just don't see the point anymore.