A levels stopped due to anxiety - what to do next?

[cazthemaker]

My DD has just given up A levels after 1 term due to bad anxiety. She had planned to go to art college but now its all up in the air. Can anyone suggest ideas about what to do this year so its not wasted. She was doing really well before she left. At the moment, she can't think about the future, but I feel I need to, for when she is ready. I am hoping to be able to work part time so to be there for her at least some of the time.

I'm sorry she's feeling like this, must be worrying for you. I suggest she gets a part time job, she'll learn lots of skills and it will be a good distraction for her. She can also use the time to be creative and keep up her artistic endeavours.

My daughter had to leave school for the same reasons. She then went to a local college to do a BTEC extended level diploma in Art and Design, and has really enjoyed it and gained a lot of experience in the different fields, photography, print, textiles, ceramics, graphics etc and should leave this year with distinctions across the board. She has applied for university to study illustration. Her self esteem is so much higher now as she is more confident in her abilities. She maybe able to join a college course now or while she's waiting look at the local university part time day and or evening classes. Our nearest uni does taster courses in sculpture, textiles, life drawing etc and if you like them you can take a on a longer course. It maybe something you could do together - I have tried some with my DD.

Look for something like a Teaching Assistant job in an Art Dept at a Secondary School or a general TA role at a Primary School. Confidence building but in a 'safe' feeling environment. Once schools are back on Monday just phone local schools and see what might be available.

Btw, 'anxiety' doesnt just go away nor is it 'caused' by A levels. Get her to your GP and ask for help. If you don't get her help now it'll be an issue for the rest of her life.

If her anxiety was related to the college and studying it is probably too soon to reconsider her options. If it was specific to the courses she chose could she meet with a tutor and/or student counsellor ? Seems a shame to drop out of everything unnecessarily .

Agree with Mrsbright re treatment. Getting proper help is more important than long term plans at the moment. Anxiety is a bugger and will come up again if not dealt with.

ItchyTeeth gives good advice there re: progression. One thing I would emphasise is that many, many people don't go to art school straight from school. I didn't, and I graduated with a first. Taking a bit of time to recover and find her way is no bad thing. A college course more suited to her needs might well be the way to go.

And re: anxiety, a good chat with the GP is a must. You don't want this to go unaddressed. There are so many options out there and she's still young. Cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling can be very useful for anxiety sufferers. For me, the right combination of medication and mindfulness meditation has been most helpf out of everything I've tried.

Good luck to both of you, I'm sure things will start to work out when the right factors are in place.

might she consider helping out in a primary school - (probably would not be on a paid basis though) they are bound to appreciate your dd's art skills and would put them to good use

would she contact her former primary? It would be a familiar environment, some of the staff might be the same and altogether less threatening and therefore less likely to induce anxiety episodes. I think primary would be gentler to start with

college next year can be decided much later on in the year - she doesn't have to have her life mapped out at this stage.

My suggestion is much the same as IitchyTeeth - she can go to a college at FE level ( equivalent to sixth form) and start her art studies there. No further exams required ( if it is exams that are the problem).

Many FE colleges offer the option but also some Higher Ed colleges and universities - and then if she likes it, it'd be an easy transfer or progression through to the higher education ( university ) sector.

What county do you live in OP? There are good options in most parts of the country which MNers could point you at. I'll start - if you live anywhere near Epsom, Rochester or Canterbury look at the university for the creative arts. THere are others - these are the ones I know about.

The most productive long-term thing for your daughter to do (and for you to facilitate) is to get to th root cause of her anxiety, and relearn how to learn so that she is not subject to anxiety.

This might mean withdrawing from pressured formal education for a bit. But it might also mean learning in an active, practical way, perhaps. Doing something, learning a practical skill, might help. There are some excellent suggestions already, so I'll not add to those.

But I wanted to say that it's OK to step off the narrow road to university. And better to do so now -- if she's made anxious by study in the Lower Sixth, she really won't cope with university. But that doesn't mean she'll never cope!

I admit, I'm sure this varies from place to place - but when I tried to get work as a TA, and I had a degree, I was completely crowded out by better-qualified people. The one interview I did get, the (very kind) headteacher pointed out that it was a very stressful job and frankly, he couldn't see me coping (And I'm sure he was right because I was dead wet behind the ears).

I would have thought trying to be a TA at her age when she's got bad anxiety anyway would be a recipe for disaster.

I do agree about getting her to a GP. She's really lucky you're looking out for her. Anything else is a side issue. But tell her, she is being really sensible here and giving herself the best possible head start on college, because the earlier this is tackled the better. Quite a lot of people (IMO) struggle through A Levels without treatment and are then diagnosed with problems later on, just at the point when they have least support at home. So in getting the help now, she's really protecting herself.

If she might want to carry on with art, is she up to working on a portfolio? That will keep her hand in, which is important, and if you can help her do it in a disciplined way alongside some part time work it might help her feel better that she was something something practical that would make A Levels less stressful when she goes back?

Thanks everyone for your advice - she has seen a counsellor who is doing - I think - solution focussed therapy with her. The volunteering thing would be good only she is very nervous in new situations so we will have to work towards that. I work (or did work, before all this) as a TA and I know my school would be welcoming, if she is ready. It is a relief to know that art is something for which A levels are not essential. The next thing is for me to cope with the uncertainty - I'm sure my new regular dizziness/migraines are a symptom of all this - life is so blinkin' random isn't it.

Best of luck to her.

Get yourself checked out too - don't ignore it.