Information on School Phobia
What is it?
School is often not the place that you want to be spending your time anyway. However, many people experience a complete sense of dread when it comes to going to school. This is very different to simply not wanting to go to school. Going into school when you have school phobia can make you feel very anxious and panicky, you may feel that you are going to pass out or that something bad may happen if you go. This can often make you feel that you would be better off not going to school (this is actually not the best idea as gives you more problems!) and can lead to truancy.
Truancy is the term used for unauthorised absence from school. This means time off where your parents/ guardians and teachers have not given you permission to be out of school. This can be an unhelpful way of dealing with the anxiety as it means that you are avoiding the situation, rather then dealing with it head on. Many people (such as your teachers and parents) now recognise that truancy can be a result of a pupil feeling anxious and stressed, rather than behaving badly, and can consequently help you if you explain what you are feeling. Although truancy removes you from the situation that causes you the anxiety, it also can get you into serious trouble and can even get your parents/guardians fined. It can also cause you more anxiety in the long run as you fall further and further behind in your studies.
Are you affected by school phobia?
- Do you worry about having to go into school?
- Will you often feel panicky when you are there?
- Will you sometimes leave in the middle of the day because you feel too anxious to stay?
- Will you often not go into school at all because you feel too anxious?
If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, you may be experiencing School Phobia.
