How to tell teacher about anxiety

[puddingduck]

Hi guys,

I need some advice on how to tell a teacher that I'm not comfortable with a class activity. In one of my university classes, the teacher is making everyone participate in spontaneous debates in front of the entire class with no time to prepare. Even the thought of this makes me feel sick to my stomach and anxious. I want to send an email to him asking to be excused from that activity, and I would like to avoid mentioning social anxiety if possible.

How would you guys phrase the email? Usually I push through my anxiety during classes because I know that we're all supposed to make an effort, but this public debating thing is really too much for me to handle. I am really worried that the teacher iswon't take me seriously or will be annoyed by my request.

[Kim51]

Hi, I am a college lecturer and part of the course is that the students have to do presentations to the whole class, I have had many students who suffer from panic and anxiety and when they tell me their fears and problems we work round it, obviously it helps that I too suffer on a daily basis with panic attacks and anxiety so understand what an ordeal it is for them, but I am sure if you were up front and honest with your lecturer they would understand and I bet you are not the first. Good luck what ever happens. :):)

[AnxietySufferer]

this is genuinely what scares me so much about uni, i mainly suffer from health anxiety, but talking in front of others is a major issue for me :( I have forced myself to do it, but my voice goes shaky and i always feel so embarressed.. i did feel proud that I managed to do one quite well the other day (without sounding shaky) but I was sat down and mainly reading from a slide and not looking at the audience (and there was only 7 in the audience) I seriously dont have a clue how im going to manage doing in front of 200 people in a lecture theatre ;(