BACK TO SCHOOL PTSD

My kids are older now - one graduated from college two years ago and the other is getting ready to graduate from college in December - but when it's about time for the school year to start, I get extremely anxious. During the summers, I would dread getting that letter in the mail with the school supplies each child would need, along with the summer required reading list. I would spend the entire summer nagging the kids to get their reading done. If it was done at all, it wouldn't be until the last minute! When we found out that my daughter was classic ADD, we found she could absorb better if I read the books to her...so that helped. (Even in college, audio books help her quite a bit.)

Along with the required reading list was the dreaded school supply list. I am sure there were some parents who would head to the store immediately to get the required plastic red folders with two pockets and purple college-ruled notebooks. Some of us - meaning me - would put it off as long as possible and then go insane trying to find all of the items listed. If you misplaced your list, never fear - Walmart had copies as you walked in the door. I was sure they were mocking me every time I walked past them.

My biggest annoyance with the lists were when required brands of items were listed. Was the school getting a kickback from Crayola for all those crayons and markers? Were Fiskar scissors better or safer? Sorry schools, but my kids sometimes brought the cheaper stuff - though I never received a single complaint!

Walmart, Target, Kmart, etc., had prominent displays of school uniforms. My kids hated wearing uniforms in the first place, and since they had most likely outgrown last year's uniforms, were not happy about trying on new ones. At least my daughter could occasionally wear polo shirts my son had outgrown. Plus, they would need new shoes and new backpacks. It was rare that a backpack even made it through ONE school year! And don't get me started on the socks! My daughter got written up because she was wearing socks that didn't show.

As the title of the post says, I suffer from Back to School PTSD. It's a thing! When I go into Walmart to buy groceries and then get hit in the face with school supply lists, rows of supplies and backpacks, racks of uniforms, and other items such as small refrigerators for dorm rooms, my heart starts racing and I begin to hyperventilate! If I happen to see the tri-fold boards for science fair projects, I want to run out of there screaming! When I become queen, science fair projects will be outlawed!

Don't get me wrong - I liked the schools my kids went to. I believe they each got a good education. I respected (most of) my kids' teachers. I know how hard teachers work and that they wind up buying a lot of supplies out of their own pockets. I appreciate the school supply and uniform drives held in our community. But it doesn't calm my nerves when back to school time rolls around.

Are there support groups for this condition?