Please . . . can you maybe listen, and perhaps help me?

[Laurelyn]

Well, I have a thing about discussing my personal life in detail on the web; I generally don't do it. However, since you all are smart, nice, and supportive, and since I am getting desperate . . . let's say I broke my resolution. Go me.
SO here's the deal: I'm afraid of my science teacher. I don't mean that she just kinda creeps me out, like ghost stories around a campfire. I mean really scared, terrified to the point where I can't move, can't think, can barely say a thing in class. I shake like a leaf in the wind, my heart pounds, and all I want to do is run, get out of there. I am a writer, and I still can't find words that seem right to me to describe all-out terror.
And there's another catch, too: She's never done a thing to me. I have absolutely no idea why I'm afraid of her; I know she thinks I'm a good student, she doesn't yell at me, nothing. She's perfectly nice, and even I can see that. So I am baffled by my fear of her.
I wouldn't have even bothered to post this if I hadn't come very close to losing it entirely in class today . . . I stayed sane, but it's also affecting my work in science class, because I can't think, can't pay attention, and couldn't tell you more than a very little bit of what we talked about today. And screw my grades, it's making me miserable.
On that note: Anybody got any suggestions? Help? Support? Whatever? Please, if you do, post them . . . Thank you for listening.
Hantalye! ~Laurelyn.

[Khamûl]

Wow. That's weird. Does she freak anyone else out? Maybe you should try to talk to her about something just to try a little contact and maybe that little bit will be enough to get you over your fear of her. I've never had that happen to me before. But whatever happens, we're here for you.

[Khadrane]

Wow. That's kinda odd. Not you, of course. You can't help what you're afraid of. I was afraid of my teacher once. Of course, she was a witch. Maybe if you tried "facing your fear" and just talking to her after class like about what your learning or about the next test or something. Or you could try to pinpoint exactly why your afraid of her or when you started being afraid of her. Maybe something about her name or personality reminds you of something you were scared of when you were little. Anyways, these are just suggestions from another student. Probably not any good.

[anduin]

When did this start? How long have you felt this way? Do you admire her, liker her in spite of being afraid of her? Perhaps you are intimidated by her because you want to impress her and do good in her class.

[TinuvielChild]

i've never had that problem, but i despise my history teacher. i secretly call him Melkor behind his back. he was mean first term, 2nd and 3rd terms he was nice, and 4th term he's mean again. he won't sign any passes, even to the bathroom! only to the nurse. cuz he doesnt' want people vomiting all over him. he used to give away Extra credit points like candy and now he gives out misdemeanor marks the same way. oh well. i hope you find something to help you with your science teacher!

[Renille]

Are you by chance perfectionistic and want to please this teacher so much that you're scared of facing her?( It's happened to me, but not to that extent.) Maybe you should take the time to get to know her as a person and not as a teacher. It helps, I promise.

[samwise of the shire]

I think Khadrane has the right idea. Try talking to her and talk to a few more students and take HUGE deep breaths. It might also help if you think about something to get your emotions back in focus. Your boyfriend or maybe something that you liked when you were a kid. Helps me when I'm out of whack. It might help if you think about the Paths of the dead and how Legolas didn't freak when every one did. Just think"legolaslegolaslegolaslegolas".
And I hope you're feelin' better.
*huggles*
Sam

[Earenya]

More food for thought on the subject- remember that as long as you are honest and work hard, you have nothing to fear. Live up to your own expectations- set them on what you're taught and the examples you're shown, but live up to your self.

And to get through the day-to-day, I think Khadrane and Samwise have already said it all. May the Force be with you.

[Elfmaster XK]

Originally posted by Earenya
And to get through the day-to-day, I think Khadrane and Samwise have already said it all. May the Force be with you.

You speak the words of a wise person! Yes, i have a fear of physics and it sends me mad. I can't think about the subject and sometimes i feel like hysterically laughing - it is to late for me. But i feel people are here for you and you should bite your lip and go see her. There is much good advice on this thread!

Also, being a writer, i would advise you to do a little exercise (not go to the gym!). Get about 10 mins to yourself and sit away from everyone. Write down everything you think in those 10 mins. Try not to think about what you are saying and not to stop. I swear this does help. If your mind has something to say, you will unconciously write it. Do this for a few days and don't read it when you've fisished. Hide it away. Then a few days later get out all the paper and read through and you will see a trend in you words, and possibly a source of anxiety.

Hope this helps. It worked for me!

[Laurelyn]

Whoa, even from 9:45 pm to 5:40 am, this thing grew!
Thank you so much, guys! It feels cool to know that you take time to help even a strange Mooter like me.

Originally posted by anduin
When did this start? How long have you felt this way? Do you admire her, liker her in spite of being afraid of her? Perhaps you are intimidated by her because you want to impress her and do good in her class.

I started being afraid of her . . . I don't know. For a while she was just another teacher, and then she kinda creeped me out, and by January she scared he heck out of me, and I starteed in her class and the beginning of Februaury, and everythings gone flying since then.
Like her . . . it depends on what you mean. If you mean do I have a crush on her, no, I don't, but I like her in that she's a good teacher (meaning that I have nothing against her, and so she, like the rest of my teachers, is considered pretty "cool".) *cough that was a run-on sentence cough* But I know she thinks I'm a good student and all that, and I know that she's worried about me through all this mess. My teachers, for better or for worse, know me well enough to notice when I walk into science class and act like . . . well, like I'm terrified out of my wits. And questions will be asked, and so on. Go figure.
As for talking to other students? Yep, have done,and they laughed me out of the locker room. I have taken that to mean that they think she's perfectly harmless.
And as for talking to her, I do actually try and talk to her some after class on days when I can. She's a really cool person, but knowing that or anything much else hasn't done a thing for me (in February, I was afraid of her, and didn't know the first thing about her.)
Good idea Elfmaster XK: I'll try it, K?

[anduin]

For a while she was just another teacher, and then she kinda creeped me out.....

Do you remember what exactly she did to creep you out? The way you say it makes it sound like it happened suddenly, like some event occured.

Oh yeah, when I said "like her", I did not mean like a crush.

[Tessar]

well if things get too bad and you HAVE to get away just scream

"ERU HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! " and fall over in a (pretend) dead faint. be sure not to fall on anything like a desk though. that might hurt, also, be sure someone in the room knows who Eru is.

[Earniel]

Terrified? Poor Laurelyn, seems like it's quite a problem. And a strange one to that. I'm not sure if I can help, I suck at giving advise. But this is what I would do. I would find a place where I'm confortable, for me that's my room. And then think over all the lessons I had from the involved teacher. Beginning at the beginning till now. I would try to analyse, trying to pinpoint why I'm scared of her and the moment when I realised she scared me. I would try to remember things she said or did that might have scared me or might have reminded me of something scary.

It's sad your friends laughed at you instead of trying to help you. They should be much more able to help you since they know the situation better. I hope it's gets better.

[TinuvielChild]

if your friends laugh at you, then they're not true friends.

[aldesign]

perhaps u should just talk to her, but try something that might be related to ur subject, ask her about a book, or an experiement, AWAY from the actual topic ur on, so that u dont feel pressured.
If u can talk to her about something, then u will feel less afraid in future.

andy

[Laurelyn]

Anduin: No, actually there wasn't any event, i just gradually became afraid.
Tessar: Good idea, maybe, although I might actually faint. Running out of the room would be/is easier
Earniel: As I said, just gradually fear took hold of me and now it won't let go. Although, in February when we got new Science and Social Studies teachers, my fear became much more noticable because I couldn't avoid her anymore.
Aldesign: The topic of class/ conversation doesn't make any difference. I'm not afraid of science; I'm afraid of my science teacher.
Also: my friends didn't laugh at me, but they couldn't identify with it.

[Darth Tater]

My advice is to do whatever anduin says, cause she's good with this sorta stuff.

[anduin]

I haven't given her any advice yet...just trying to get a handle on what is going on.

How does this fear manifest itself? Do you have panic attacks? Can you look her in the eye when you talk to her? When she calls on you in class can you think straight and answer the question? Try to explain exactly what you feel when you are afraid.

[Laurelyn]

Anduin, are you a psychaitrist or something?

But anyways, I shall trust in Tater's advice and listen to you . . .
I'm not quite sure what you mean by "panic attack."
Sometimes I Look her in the eyes, sometimes I don't . . . The times I don't are when I'm too terrified to make myself lift my head up. Her eyes, if it makes any difference, are blue, ice blue, not Carribean blue like EW's. They sparkle like a lake in the wintertime when she laughs. (And yes, I do watch people's eyes a lot . . . that is the one unnerving thing about the internet. No eyes.)
Think straight? No. Answer the question? Yes and no. . . I answer it eventually, but some times I simply can't talk for being so frozen into place, and I have to be prompted by my class once, twice, or more. Fortunately, we have a small class.
Try to explain . . . ack.

I shake like a leaf in the wind, my heart pounds, and all I want to do is run, get out of there.

Er . . . yeah . . .

[Khadrane]

Maybe if you've tried all these things, you're just scared of her. Maybe you just can't help it. I'm not trying to say you shouldn't try to stop being scared of her or anything, but as an example, there is this guy in my class who I just can't stand. He's never done anything to me, but he drives me insane. Maybe it's kind of like that. Hope I'm wrong though.