The article shares a personal account of a high school freshman struggling with debilitating anxiety that leads to school refusal. The author details how this condition escalated from missing a day of school to weeks at a time, exacerbated by societal pressures and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience reflects a broader trend, as many students face similar mental health challenges. The article highlights the distinction between laziness and genuine distress, advocating for greater understanding of mental health issues impacting educational attendance.
Despite my symptoms being gone within a day or two, I struggled to return to school... I went from missing a day here and there to missing weeks at a time.
Before COVID, an estimated 1% to 5% of students showed signs of school refusal... In the years since the pandemic, though, more adolescents have experienced anxiety, depression... that make school refusal more likely.
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