i’m always so exhausted and i feel like i’m just doing the minimum to scrape by everyday. i have like lost motivation and like hope in myself ig. i feel this like unexplainable sadness in me. its been going on for quite awhile but this year it’s started to make it hard for me to focus and really affected my grades. at the same time as i think what i’m feeling isint really normal, when i look around at my friends they like cry themselves to sleep or wtv and i think maybe its all in my head and just some mindset to give an excuse for laziness or smth. anyway i’m in contact with this person from care corner for like 1.5 years and i still haven’t been able to receive counselling, so i’m thinking if i shld ask my mom if i can get like private help. and i really dont want to try the school counsellor cos iv heard of bad experiences and i really do not want my teachers to know.
Must been tough @thegreatwar sorry to hear about how youve been contacting care corner yet considering to seeking counselling elsewhere its completely cool if you chose to drop care corner or keep both care corner, as well as a referral by Polyclinic for subsidised therapy sessions by a professional and while you may seek outside counselling and not the one at school, though you will also experience many things which made you aware how your school and life experience may vary and differ from the common experience of others, and at school or life, where things may be more than yourself may seek understanding, kindly advise to take notes and document your interpretations, thoughts and feelings on a journal (which you can self soothe interim prior to seeking counselling, and you may even choose to share your journal entries with your counsellor upon beginning your counselling) you may carry this journal with you wherever you are and with this journal you can express yourself however you enjoy, if you appreciate art you can create something you see from YouTube videos (ie origami paper folding, kirigami paper cutting on YouTube) stick something you enjoy creating into your journal and if it’s music, you can recite the music lyrics from YouTube videos and jot down quotes or entire lyrics into your journal,
Just wondering whether you have ever opened up to your family or your parent, or at least a close member of family, about yourself and your sense of hopelessness and helplessness, with your way of imbalance of expectations and experiences with school and life,
If you ever see to care to share with your family, your parent or your close family member, why not, since sharing brings with its own sense of solidarity with someone youre sharing close companionship with, and your family, your parent or your close family member happens to be someone you share close companionship and why not ever to see your way of imbalance of expectation and experience with school and life from another one way, maybe your family, your parent or your close family member views your life in a wholly different way from which you see it, your family, your parent or your close family member may even disclose whether your family, your parent or your close family member themselves enjoys living the way they do, and how their experiences may enrich, enliven or enlighten you, or you could voice and bounce to and fro ideas with your family, your parent or your close family member, maybe your family, your parent or your close family member is open to giving you timely check ins as interim prior to your seeking counselling via Polyclinic referral, or together with interim check ins something sort of a brainstorming session to target your weak points and if necessary, engage tutors or teachers or seek professionals outside of school to guide and advise with your tuition and learning outside school, and you can from there ease and expand your strengths closing shortcomings,
If cannot afford tuition, I sure believe your family, your parent or your close family member understands yourself better than anyone of us here, kindly advise checking in with your family, your parent or your close family member, even way after you’ve tuned into your family, your parent or your close family member, and attained baseline on how your family, your parent or your close family member feels about your school and life, to gradually, routinely and habitually checking in and updating your family, your parent or your close family member with your life updates, I’m sure they are grateful, thankful and happy seeing youre opening yourself up, as well as how youre absorbing, gaining, learning and leveraging what youre learning from other experiences with others, other skills and other ideas, and giving yourself another one chance to living life in your own way, space and time,
Kindly update on your progress, growth and lessons youre learning, and importantly, all and one and I myself is believing of yourself and who you are and keep going, youre already halfway on your self discovery, self reckoning and recovery journey since you’ve identified with your imbalance of expectation and experience with school and life, and remember theres nothing to worry, if it is solvable, worry resolves nothing and all is solvable, and if it is not something youre seeking to solve, theres another one way putting your thinking cap, that since theres nothing needing solving, then there’s no worry, and it’s more than common to find all and one individually going about their day as well as at their own way, space and time, once again, keep us on your current update
Dear @thegreatwar
Thank you for reaching out! I can sense how tired you are of feeling low for so long. Anyone in your shoes will also feel similarly so you are not alone.
I see that what you are describing (constant tiredness, loss of motivation, heavy sadness, trouble focusing) is very real, and not just laziness. I have seen that when something starts affecting our energy, thinking, and school, it deserves immediate attention.
I note your friends are struggling too; do know that does not invalidate your own pain. Please encourage friends to seek support soon.
I recommend speaking to your parents and agree with your suggestion on exploring other options to seek counselling. Concurrently you may also want to check on the delay you have encountered. Tell your parents what you are going through and the mental health support you need.
I fully get about your discomfort with the school counsellor. I believe school counsellors generally do keep what students share confidential. They usually have to share if there is any danger to yourself or others.
Another avenue of immediate assistance is to call the national mindline at 1771. You can either text or call the counsellors manning the line and this support is available 24/7.
Please remember to be compassionate to yourself. Move forward by starting to take small steps forward such as:
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Do one small task at a time (even 10–15 minutes)
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Keep a basic routine (sleep, meals, showing up)
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Lower the bar: “done” is better than “perfect”
Please keep optimistic that this is a temporary situation and work on improving it by taking consistent, steady steps. 
hii, thanks for sharing! im really sorry you have been feeling like this. being exhausted all the time, doing the bare minimum just to get through the day, and feeling this heavy sadness can be super scary.
i can totally imagine how when you are drained like this, focusing gets harder, motivation disappears, and school becomes so much more difficult. even tho your friends are struggling as well, it doesnt make your own pain any less valid!!
also it seems pretty reasonable that you are thinking about getting private help. i think it could be really beneficial 
if you ever just need someone to talk to sooner, this platform is here for emotional support too 