Childhood fear of school

Hi. I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome a couple of months ago, aged 64. So now I am trying to understand the previously inexplicable events of my past.

One memory that haunts me from childhood was what we might call, "The Sunday evening blues".  I would frequently be terrified of going back to school the following day, and my parents would be faced with a boy in floods of tears who was unable to explain why he was so frightened. Just hearing TV and radio shows that ran regularly on a Sunday evening would fill me with dread, because they reminded me that the next thing was 'bed and then school'. This lasted well into my teens, where I would be reading books by torchlight in the early hours of Monday morning, just to put off falling asleep and waking up on a Monday.

Has anyone here experienced this kind of fear? Is there an obvious explanation as to why I might have been like that?

A big hello to everyone here, and I hope I can be of use to you in the future.

Best wishes,

Raymond

  • I was terrified of going to preschool and clung to my step-brother's legs as if my life depended on me staying away from those cold teachers.

  • I don’t used to dread Monday mornings, I hated having to go to school, especially secondary school. Every Sunday evening or end of school holiday, I used to wish that there was an unexpected bank holiday Monday or teacher training day that no one had previously told us about!

  • Gosh. That sounds pretty rough. 

    I did actually keep attending, and even enjoyed some of school. I was good academically, but tended to get 'duffed up' when it came to social interactions. That was the strange part. Usually by Tuesday I was doing pretty well. It was just Sunday/Monday where I had the issue.

    I spent the weekends reading my books, living in my imagination, or else engrossed in my own fanatical projects. My wild guess is that I was in fear of not being able to have any of that (Oh so important) freedom come Monday morning.

  • I'm a long term school refuser 

    My early school days were a nightmare and I avoided going for weeks and months.  

    To try to help me I changed schools and was forced to attend two 'special' schools. 

    My family never understood my problems.  Both my sister and mother claim to have enjoyed their school days.