Teaching abroad while having anxiety issues?

LegacyUser

What's your opinion on teaching in completely different culture, for 9 months, while having anxious issues?

ivytwine

Do you feel on top of the issues at present? Have you received treatment for them?

I had/have anxiety issues too and living abroad was the making of me.

I know in Asia also, if you have applied for a state school they may ask you about issues you may have had. I had been asked about counselling and why I went for it while applying for Korea (I changed my mind and didn't go in the end, it didn't seem to affect my prospects though).

LegacyUser

Eh, It's one of those illness sort of yokes. And it's hard to tell if I'm on top of it, but I do believe that it may be because of the environment that I'm in.

I guess I shouldn't let it stop me from doing what I want to do? But not knowing a language and working full time in a foreign could exacerbate it.

Dee01

If ur feeling good at the minute and have the tools to deal with a set back i.e. Breathing/medication etc then I would go for it.

Worst case scenario you don't like it so you come home.

Best case scenario, you love it and grow as a person as a result.

Good luck

Tokyo

Hi OP,

I have taught overseas for many years and it can be an amazing experience - it opens you up to so many new cultures, and can be an extremely warming career. However I've be lying if I didn't say that you are right in questioning if you might be anxious there, particularly if it's something that you have suffered from before. Standing in front of a classroom for the first time can also bring its own anxiety.

Seeing as your plan is to teach abroad, one recommendation that I would make would be to complete a teaching course such as CELTA here beforehand. It's the qualification of choice for most reputable schools, and as part of your course you will be asked to teach in front of a class (8 times, if I remember correctly) - this will give you plenty of time to get your initial nervousness in check, and the instructors and class will give you honest feedback as to where you need to focus some attention. It'll also give you a pretty good idea if teaching is for you or not.

If after all that you still want to teach, then there are quite a few job offered out there that will pick you up on arrival, provide accommodation etc and give you a gentler introduction to living in the country than just stepping out of the airport and wondering where to go next.

IF it's something that you really want to do, then I say go for it. There's an excellent Teaching Abroad forum here too, if you are looking for more information, and I'm sure posters there would be happy to share their experiences with you.

Raminahobbin

My friend used to suffer from A LOT of panic attacks and anxiety based issues, that she was fairly sure were linked to her home life environment. So she packed up and moved to China to teach English a few years ago- she only stayed one year, but, to be honest, it was the making of her. We still talk about it being the single best thing she ever did with her life. Now she's a confident, capable adult as opposed to the meek, anxious person she used to be. It didn't get rid of her anxiety completely, but it definitely lessened it dramatically, to the point that it barely affects her any more.

The one thing I will say, is make sure to tell a couple of work colleagues about your issues if you do go over. The one and only time my friend fainted during a panic attack at work and couldn't speak, they called her an ambulance and it freaked a lot of people out because she hadn't explained her symptoms to anyone in the office.

So absolutely go for it if it's something you want to do, OP, you might find it's exactly what you need to push past the anxiety.

R.D. aka MR.D

i agree with Mike.ie.

I'm a teacher abroad and have some anxiety issues that I am really on top of so it's not impossible. Doing a CELTA will allow you to get an idea of what teaching is like. It will prepare you in a supportive environment.

I've been abroad for a good number of years now and i feel like i get more and more confident with every year. Being in another country forces you into a lot of situations that are out of your comfort zone. You don't say how bad your issues are but if they are quite serious then maybe you should discuss your problems and options with a professional.

The most difficult thing for me is that when I am having problems either with my depression or anxiety then there is no help. You can't just ring up a helpline or whatever. However, for me, I feel this has made me a stronger person but on the other hand that might be too much for some.

Legs.Eleven

I also teach abroad and although I've never suffered from serious anxiety issues, I'd be fairly introverted and always found public speaking an absolutely terrifying prospect (I did a lot of it university). I found I have my teacher persona and my normal Leg.Eleven persona outside class and although I'm not acting as such, you do find yourself taking on a role in class that is not necessarily how you are outside class (I'm certainly not that "teacher-like" in real life) and it's something that you acquire the more you teach and it has helped me to get over the nerves. You get into "teacher mode" and your nerves disappear once you're in there doing your thing. I've learned that the prospect of teaching is much worse than the reality.

When I think how far I've come from my first class where I was visibly shaking in front of the class to now and that has come with time.


As others have recommended here, I would do the CELTA. I did it last year after 3 years of teaching and it was great to get feedback on what I'd been doing wrong up to that point and it gave me the confidence to go back in knowing what I had to improve on and you will discover quickly the most new teachers feel extremely nervous at the prospect of getting in front of a class and some more than others. I know teachers who would definitely have anxiety issues but teaching doesn't phase them anymore.

It's hard to explain: the idea of getting up in front of a class sounds worse than it actually is in my opinion because you're not talking at people, you're talking to them and the classes are interactive with lots of back and forth (or they should be at least!). I think it's very different to public speaking. If you keep the classes very student-centered (which they should be), the focus on you is minimal.

Best of luck, OP! This career could be the making of you!

LegacyUser

Yeah, I reckon I'm used to dealing with anxiety.

As long as I'm aware of it it won't be a problem.