# Healing and Wellbeing > Study, Work and Welfare >  >  Eviction if I take a break from study for mental health

## Dumplpings

I'm an Australian university student at a smaller university, studying accounting. I have a super hard class at the moment, and I'm not even sure why but my anxiety has been super bad. I've had a nasty headache in the back of my skull for the last month or so, constantly, with the feeling of a lot of pressure in my head. (Which has been diagnosed as being caused by stress), and my IBS has been acting up, and I've just not been feeling great nor been able to do much study. It's week 6 of 12 and I'm still trying to do week 1 work. 

I've considered dropping the unit and trying again next year, because I'm really not well, but I live on campus and the accommodation coordinator has told me I'll likely be evicted if I do (and they can't tell me for certain before I drop out) even though I'm continuing my studies next year and am very unwell. I don't even know if it's allowed, but it just sucks. Especially because I have to also take any job that my Centerlink* provider* finds for me (increasing my stress levels) and there is only a minimum (15 hours) that they think I can work - not a maximum. But even 15 hours would be a lot. 

*Centrelink is the department in Australia in charge of handling things like student allowances and the dole. They have a zero exceptions rule for student allowances where you have to be studying full time to get the allowance. Even if you drop during the last week of semester for health reasons and will continue studying in the next semester which starts a month later, your allowance still gets cut. Because I can't study full time, I am on the dole, basically, and have an reduced capacity to work because I'm considered "sort of disabled" and have a provider that looks for work for me and I have to go see them every two weeks and do what they tell me or my payment gets cut. They keep reminding me that I can't be "too picky" (like about not wanting to work in a place that's super loud, even though that panics me) and travel distance is considered okay up to two hours travel regardless of the situation. At least they do only look for part time jobs and don't look into anything where I have to stand/be on my feet/run around all day. 

I did have an exemption for looking for work, but they only allow you to do the assessment to do the test once every two years, and the assessment can only give you 6 months maximum. You can only get reassessed in this time period if your condition "considerably worsens" - not if you just get a bit worse, or don't get any better. Which is so ridiculous. I just want my degree.  ::(:

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## Chantellabella

You may not like what I'm going to say, but can you hold out dropping? I know it can be stressful, but I've learned that even if we have a ton of stress we have to push through the pain for survival. 

I know you struggle with things, but when I look around at people at my work, I can diagnose each one of them with something. I had one co-worker who worked everyday until a week before she died from cancer. 

Life is not easy.............it's really tough. That's why we all need coffee to convince ourselves to get out of bed, go somewhere with a stressful drive, and be somewhere stressful. I just tell myself if I don't, I don't eat. I also won't have a roof over my head or freedom.

I've chosen the easier route in my life and ended up locked up in a hospital. Believe me, you don't want your freedom taken away.

So I get out of bed, I say over and over, "I can do this, I can do this," and I tough it through another day. 

You're so close to building a future for yourself. I always hate to see especially young people give up. 

I'm sorry you're struggling.

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## Dumplpings

Thanks. I'm just concerned because the work load is so immense that even a healthy student couldn't catch up at this point. My lecturer doesn't know the full details but is very concerned as well. I don't *want* to drop, I enjoy the work. I'm not considering dropping out of the whole course, just the unit because I'm not sure passing is possible.

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## Chantellabella

> Thanks. I'm just concerned because the work load is so immense that even a healthy student couldn't catch up at this point. My lecturer doesn't know the full details but is very concerned as well. I don't *want* to drop, I enjoy the work. I'm not considering dropping out of the whole course, just the unit because I'm not sure passing is possible.



If you stuck it out and didn't pass, can you take the class over? I've taken many classes over to raise my GPA. My son who is a Math teacher took Calculus III 3 times before he passed. Sometimes it's just something that has to click. When I stuck something out and took it again, it helped me to have the extra time.

If dropping out of just this unit won't affect anything, I'd say maybe drop, but if it will affect your school goal severely, I would stick it out. 

But that's me. And my reasoning for sticking it out is this. I have been told "I can't do anything," my entire life. I've been treated as though I was a failure and worthless. If I ever give up, I agree with my abusers and bullies...................."You're right. I can't do it." 

So even though I have a bunch of diagnoses that would render me paralyzed to do anything, I get up and show the world I can do anything I want to do. 

I don't know your whole circumstance. I just know that coming from being homeless on the street from age 15-18, being beaten, humiliated, squashed down, etc, made me fight even harder. I have 2 Masters degrees, and have been awarded for many things in my life and career. I speak on the radio, and I push through the pain and fear everyday. Just because I'm not going to agree with anyone who says I can't do it. 

I'm probably the wrong person to be helping you with this. I'm sorry.  :Hug:  I know it's hard.

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## Dumplpings

I can fail classes, but only up to a certain point. I've had to fail classes before, and don't know what that point is, and don't want to suddenly get there. But if I can't find an option that won't get me evicted, I'll probably stick it out and just learn as much as possible to make next time easier - the work load is seriously insane, one text book chapter is over 50 pages (just text, no pictures or diagrams) and we have at least one chapter in each of two textbooks plus other readings and activities every week. I'm about 6 weeks behind. 

Thanks for your help, and I'm happy you are doing so well after all that. I'm doing way better than I used to - I grew up with a mother that has been diagnosed with schizophrenia in the last couple of years after a psychotic break, who was convinced that I was completely healthy and that teachers and professionals were all part of a conspiracy to convince me something was wrong. Dad and one of my sisters both likely have NPD but are undiagnosed (there is certainly something wrong with both of them). Dad was emotionally abusive, narcissistic and sexist. My sister was a huge [BEEP] that would insult me and my other siblings for fun, and could get violent if she didn't get what she wanted or was just bored. I've moved across the country and cut ties completely with the bad sister, but not completely with my parents (though limited contact). Which has really helped. I've also managed to stop having panic attacks almost completely, and do quite well in my classes when my anxiety doesn't act up (or I otherwise get sick). It's just been tough recently with glandular fever for a year, medication changes and now trying to get back into study (I did do well last semester, I only got a pass for the class but I got a distinction in the most practical assignment I've ever done).

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