I’m 16 years old. I’d like to get away from my house because we have a lot of family issues that cause me immense stress and there really isn’t much to do here. I am on track to be a junior in high school, but I have an issue. I struggle with debilitating fatigue and severe depression. I am pressured to get a high school diploma. Because of that, the only way for me to make it this far was through some cheating. I still did most of the work I was supposed to, but I cheated on quite a few things. It’s not me. I’m not a bad kid like that. I’m trying my best. It’s just my parents would see me as a failure if I dropped out. Originally what I was thinking was a boarding school to get away, but the problem with that is that 1. the schedules are very strict, and I can’t keep up with that because of my fatigue. I can only to school for about four hours a day max. Additionally, I really want to get my GED instead of my high school diploma, because I don’t want a diploma I didn’t earn 100% honestly. Sure I put in a ton of work, sweat, pain and tears into my schooling, I really did try hard, but it just wasn’t 100% honest. I want my GED to be 100% authentic, and to show my actual ability level. So, where can I go? Where can I live away from home and get my GED? I was thinking like a group home, but I’ve only found those for homeless kids, and kids that do drugs and alcohol. I’m not rebellious, I’m not aggressive, I’m just really trying hard, but going through a lot. Thank you so much!
My parents never pressure me to do anything in life ? fatigue sleep more hours. I am not too sure about moving away from parents but my best bet would be call the cops and ask for help.
I’m so sorry you’re having such a rough time.
First let me disagree with the previous poster. If you were to “call the cops”-- what would you say? What law have your parents broken?
Here are the realities as I see them:
- You have mental health issues. You NEED to see a therapist. That "severe depression" is a huge concern.
- You have physical health issues. That debilitating fatigue is also a huge concern. Get a Physical right away.
OK, some other reactions:
- You’re making excuses… .the only way to make it this far was to cheat. No, you could have studied.
- You're pressured to get a high school diploma... well, of course. Your parents know that a high school diploma is vital if you ever hope to live a life where you can comfortably afford the things you want and need. Without it, you're economically crippled, denied the chance at so many jobs. I honestly don't know a single parent who isn't doing their very best to ensure that their kids graduate high school.
- As far as your GED idea-- not what I would suggest. I get that your conscience is kicking in and that you regret cheating. So stop cheating and make the rest honest from this point onward. But graduate high school. Get back on track, but finish traditional high school. in practical terms, you would have to google the GED requirements in your home state. Some require that you be 18 or older before attempting at GED. And it's NOT an easy test... you would probably have to take a series of night classes before taking the test.
- You mention wanting to live away from home, needing to get away. But as a 16 year old without even a high school diploma, you have no way of paying for that. You'll need rent/ tuition, food, clothing, heat, medical care. If your post implied that your parents are abusive, it would be different. But from what you say, they're pressuring you to graduate-- you don't really mention any issues beyond that. Probably the best way to "get away" would be to graduate, and then go away to college. There are some colleges that are great for kids who have struggled academically. But, again, they're going to want a high school diploma.
My overwhelming reaction to your post is that this is a cry for mental health counseling. Why don’t you speak to your guidance counselor on Monday? If you don’t have a strong relationship with him/her, then choose a teacher with whom you’ve connected on some level, or even just a teacher who was nice. Ask if you can talk to him/her either during lunch or before/after school, and lay it all on the table. He or she can recommend some mental health resources, or put you in touch with someone in guidance who can.
Once you get a handle on the depression-- which may very well tie into the fatigue-- then you can deal with the academics and the guilt about cheating. The mental health stuff seems to be the root of the rest of your post.
And it’s June. Do what you can to get through the rest of the school year and your finals honestly but with the highest grades you can earn without doing any further damage to your health. So, no, no all nighters. But hand in anything that’s missing, and pull together as many points on your finals as you can. Finishing with as strong an academic record as you can puts you into a better position for making decisions down the road.
The best of luck to you. Let us know how you’re doing next week, OK?
Yes, talk to your school guidance counselor right away. They should have information for you on mental health counseling.
I know that my state (Ohio) has a newish high school …where the students, mostly due to very rough home life conditions, just are not making it in their regular high schools and are likely to drop out or just not attend enough to graduate. At this new school, students can attend fewer hours, do work from home, and take as long as they need to graduate. There may be options like this for you in your state, your GC should know. But the first step is talking to him/her and working on the mental health issues.
I agree with the 2 post above. But to answer your question Job Corp is something you can look into. You stay on campus and you learn a trade as well as your high school diploma. They even have some Dual enrollment Associate programs with local community colleges.