Suicide...?

Question

I try SO hard to get good grades in school. My dream has always been to go to a prestigious university, but my grades aren't up to their standards. In fact, I'm struggling so much in school right now, the work load is just way too much, and I feel like I can't keep up. My classmates seem to be doing just fine, though. My GPA is going down and reaching a point where it shouldn't be.
And...I've been getting three hours of sleep each night studying...I just want to do well--but can't. =[

I'm feeling very depressed--While I don't exactly WANT to kill myself, I keep getting thoughts about suicide.
I don't know what to do?

Answer 1

I think you sound like your just too worried about school. Stop stressing yourself out about it. I'm in college, I have good grades, and I get all my sleep at night. You need to learn to calllmmm yourself.!

Answer 2

1) I notice you don't mention what your GPA actually is...just because it's not a 4.0 doesn't mean you can't still get into a good school. Also remember that many prestigious universities aren't all they're cracked up to be. Sometimes you can actually get a better education at lesser known schools (ex. Eastern Kentucky University has one of the top law enforcement programs in the nation--average tuition per semester? about $3000 Oh, and I think they only require a 2.0).
2) The only thing your high school grades will affect in the least bit is your college and scholarship applications. Once you're in somewhere, they will not matter one bit. Don't stress yourself out over something that won't be important in another year.
3) Talk to your teachers about the workload thing--they might be able to help you out a bit. But, they can't help you if they don't know there's a problem.
4) Consider talking to a counselor about the depression. They may be able to help you work through it.
5) And always remember: "D" is for diploma.

Answer 3

Dear One,
When people feel they're backed against a wall, and they see no help, depression often takes over. I think you may be burnt out and need some help. I would suggest that you see a therapist, just to talk out everything. You need someone to help you get a perspective on life. Your dreams are fine, but you have to deal with today. Apparently, your priorities are all out of whack (not you) and since everything feels like domino's falling down, you don't know which domino to grab! We all get there, dear one. I suspect your thought of suicide is nothing more than complete frustration and just wanting a way out of all this mess. Trust me, there's a better way to handle this. Probably depression is keeping you from sleeping, plus you've got your 'time clock' all messed up by not keeping a decent schedule. The body needs rest. The mind needs rest. If you notice, all the lost sleep has not improved your grades at all! So, that's one thing you can mark off! If you keep doing what you've been doing then you'll get what you've always got - right! So it's time to change some things. But my point is, you need a pro to help you make that change. You are not sick (ill) or whatever you want to label it. You are tired. You are beat. You are frustrated.
So, dear one, do some 'preventive health care. Don't take a pill..... choose a good behavioral therapist. Tell her what you've just told me. It's as simple as that. She'll show you some boundaries, and some skills that you're lacking. Be good to yourself - you're worth it!! Blessings.

Answer 4

1. Get some sleep. You are only doing yourself more harm by staying up so long to study. At some point, the law of diminishing returns kicks in (i.e. the more you study the less you learn because you are exhausted).

2. Going to a prestigious university is a good goal, but if it's not a realistic one, there are plenty of good non-Ivy League schools to go to. Your dreams should lift you up, not crush you. Life will go on, even if you don't go to Harvard or Yale. A friend of mine went to Yale and she hated it; she was absolutely miserable. Then she left and moved on with her life and was much happier than she'd ever been.

3. You'll think I'm crazy for saying this, but take an entire day to relax. You need it. Moreover, reserve some time each week (or even just 30 minutes each day) to do nothing. If you run yourself into the ground, you will burn out. Think of it more as a marathon, rather than a sprint. You can't run at full speed every minute.

Take care!

Answer 5

I suggest you read some books about NDEs (Near Death Experiences), such as Raymond Moody's LIFE AFTER LIFE and REFLECTIONS ON LIFE AFTER LIFE. I first became familiar with his works 30 years ago. I was an agnostic: I did not claim to know whether there was or was not a supreme being, or an afterlife, because I felt it would be arrogant to make either claim without evidence.

However, after reading accounts of people who had been clinically "dead" and then resuscitated, and who had common threads in their experiences, I saw evidence that there is an afterlife, and that there is more to us than our physical bodies.

Notice that I do not use the word "belief." I am not religious, only spiritual.

What I learned from these books helped me overcome many periods of despair in the years since then. Suicide is not even an option, because one cannot "kill" oneself if the spiritual being survives the physical one. Near Death Experiences by persons who have attempted suicide and failed indicate that suicide just compounds the problems the person already had.

Let me put it bluntly: Suicide tears a hole in the fabric in the universe. There is a plan for every one of us, a time to be born, and a time to die. We have no right to mess with this plan.

Also, when you commit suicide, you hurt many people with your unnatural act. I saw this first hand when my brother took his life 23 years ago this month. I saw how it devastated my parents. Probably, in my brother's spirit form, he also saw this devastation . . . but no one could hear him say he was sorry! If that isn't a type of Hell, I don't know what is. In any case, I forgave him for what he did.

Your health and your sanity are much more important than your grades. Obviously you are young . . . and today is the first day of the rest of your life. Don't skimp on sleep. Years from now, the prestige you are seeking in attending a particular university will seem laughably unimportant.

I have read or at least skimmed many of the other responses to your question, and I see a lot of good advice here. Read and consider all the ideas presented here: knowledge is power. And isn't it grand that all these people who don't even know you, still care about you?

Above all, remember the most significant lesson learned by those who have experienced NDEs, and that is that love is the most important thing in the universe.

Answer 6

First of all if you are considering suicide you should check this website http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or call them at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), it contains information about a 24 hour suicide prevention hot line (free and confidential).

Now for my personal advice. I am definitely no psychologist but what I do know is that the older you get the more you will realize that getting good grades isn't all it's cracked up to be. Prestigious schools are great but are usually reserved for rich families that have connections anyway. You can get just as good of a job going to a good school (i.e. Penn State, Ohio State, Florida State, etc.) as if you go to one of the ivy league schools. There is so much more to life than school and you try not to worry so much about it. Focus on other activities and hanging out with friends, your parents may think it's better to study but who cares, you have to live your life.

School Counselors get paid to discuss these kinds of issues with students, so you should talk with one of them. It would probably also be a good idea to tell your parents exactly how you feel, and I guarantee they would ease up a bit. They are your parents and they will love you whether you get an A or a C. They are just trying to encourage you to be a strong achiever but it sounds like they are pushing you too hard for you to relax and have fun. I hope this helps. Hang in there!

Answer 7

Hey it's ok. I understand you very well. As a matter of fact, I'm going through the same situation right now. Sometimes it would be 11:00pm and i would only have less than half of the assignments done. Sometimes it is too much for me to handle, but those moments always come and go.

What I would do is get a small notebook, write down all the things you need to do for that day-and i mean EVERTHING. Plan it out. If you school work is insane and keeps you up well into the night, you should stay on track and not get off focus. That way you'll get through your work faster.

Also, when I feel depressed, I would go to my friends. Hang out or just talk to them via im, phone, etc... Don't talk to them about your depression if you don't want to because in my opinion, it just makes them worried about you. This helps me alot because we talk about irrelevent stuff, and it helps me forget all the work i have, removing alot of stress and calming my mind.

Answer 8

Maybe you are trying to hard, you are putting to much energy into it. Relax, life is not about what kind of grades you get or where you go to school at. You just need to be you, Try being a normal student for a while, because it sounds like you are way past that point. Get a good nights rest. This will help you to remember what you are studing. And don't forget to smile, if you are giving an honest effort to life it will give one back to you. I personally read the Bible a lot. It brings me peace. I go to church, that also helps me have a smile on my face and my problems just don't seem that big anymore. God can give peace of mind, and it will let your soul rest and you will not be so worried about studying all the time.

Answer 9

First know this, suicide hurts most those who love you the most. It is a act of violence against them that they will never get over. It is one of the most selfish things you can do. It is the ultimate lack of faith.

Next, get some B vitamins, mega-doses, take them daily. (a deficiency in B vitamins can cause depression.)
Then sleep until you are well rested. Get some exercise preferably outside.
You will do better if you study moderately but are well rested rather than if you are up cramming and going to class exhausted.
Focus on now, these classes, these assignments. Of course you would like to attend a prestigious university but you won't make it if you can't focus on these classes, now. You don't have to be perfect.
You are chasing yourself with a stick to perform. You aren't taking care of yourself. This is not how to succeed at anything. You need sleep.
It sounds like you could use some help with time management skills. Especially if your classmates are doing just fine. Cheer up!
If you just have to do something drastic, don't kill yourself, just kill the version of yourself that is killing you, drop out of school before you drop out of life. You can always go back to school.

Answer 10

Please don't be Anxious and Depress, There are some things you can do to become more organized.

First,, relax your mind and spirit by resting and sleeping for a while after school.

Then get up and get an early start on your studies. Take a break, have Dinner, then continue with the Home work, but not too late into the night.

Whatever you do stay calm, if you believe in prayers, pray often that God will see you through this.

Answer 11

Sleep well and eat right. Those are the most important things
you can do to prepare your mind. If you're having trouble its
especially important to be at your best. When you study,
FOCUS!!!! Don't let anything distract you. There's a lot going
on in a teen's life that could distract you. Don't let it!
Suicidal thoughts are common when we feel we're failing in
a big way. Don't use others to measure your value. Do the
best you can then move on. If you don't go to Harvard,
whoop de doo. I know idiots who went to ivy league schools
and brilliant people who went to state universities. Good luck.