Burning out/Taking time off from school...

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Well, folks, one of the main reasons that I decided to (finally) start posting on WrongPlanet is because, lately, I've been going through something of a physical/mental breakdown. I've been feeling especially clammy and unwilling to speak to people lately, as well as feeling overwhelming physical pain when out in public. My body is saying "No more!" while my mind is like, "Heh, you're going to flunk out of your last semester of college if you don't get the hell out there!" I'm well aware that my mind has been flogging the worst half of itself for a while...as well as my body...but I'm afraid that I will flunk out of college, and so close to the end of the game too.

I really haven't taken a whole lot of time off. I missed classes yesterday and today, and one of the classes I missed today I missed on Tuesday as well, but it's not the first time I've missed any of those classes this semester. The need to take off as many class periods as possible makes me feel crappy, but it doesn't outweigh my body's needs.

My concern is that I can't seem to handle stress and obligations that I don't want to have quite as well as most of my classmates. They come in feeling great and ready to be there, while I'm bored as hell and feeling awful. I have one class I quite literally get nauseous going to (P.E., is that any shock?). So...it's like I need to either keep flogging myself to go and risk getting very ill, or continue to take chill time so I can feel somewhat well...

What should/can I do? Is there anyone on this forum that feels the same way, burnt out?

I can really relate. To this day (it's been over 20 years) I have recurring nightmares about being late to classes, flunking classes, and being ashamed that I couldn't keep up with other students. I lagged behind in math skills, and I felt stupid because of that.
I also was going through enormous emotional problems while at University: my mother was dying of cancer, I was un-dignosed as AS (nobody knew what is was twenty years ago), and I just couldn't find a woman to date. I was very lonely, and very stressed. I didn't handle things very well ...

Perhaps finishing up this semester, and taking a 'time out' will help you.

I just took one day off to just rest and gather my thoughts on my problems in school. It worked for me (I slept all day). Of course, I'm in high school so I'm not sure if that would work. But a bit of unplanned time off in my opinion helps me work better when the tiem to work comes.

I feel that way some times too. Last semester was the worst semester I had in all my semesters and years in college. I just couldn't keep up with the work load. And now i have to repeat three of my classes this semester. See, I'm trying to get out of here, but being stressed out and needing to take time off from classes and have a very laid back semester every semester just doesn't seem to be what i need to get out of here. Plus, the pressure of my parents nagging on me trying to get me to complete college isn't helping either. I don't know. The only classes i can seem to get through are my night classes because i only have them once a week and it's a nice feeling. I don't feel really stressed by them as much as my tuesday/thursday classes this semester. That's how i feel about school.