'I've had enough of exam stress'
Billy was desperate for a break from all the stress at home when he called us.
‘I’ve got my GCSEs this year and my parents are acting like I’ve got to get As in all of them. But I didn’t work very hard last year, and now they’re checking every night whether I’ve done enough studying. I hate it!’Get Connected asked what had made him call today and he said the final straw was when he’d lashed out at his brother with his crutch. He’d sprained his ankle in a football match, and was on painkillers.
‘My family’s saying it’s the painkillers making me angry but it’s not, it’s them hassling me about my exams!’
Billy felt bad that he’d hit his brother and worried how his anxiety was making him behave. He wanted to talk to someone outside the situation who wouldn’t make any judgements of him.
We explained the service of Connexions Direct, who could give him studying and careers advice, and ChildLine, who could give him emotional support if things felt like they were getting too much.
Get Connected also told him about Youth2Youth, a helpline staffed by young people, where he could get advice from a young person’s perspective. Billy took their number enthusiastically and said he’d call them when he felt calmer.
