mental-health/anxiety

Every school morning I feel like I might throw up

Save

I'm 13 and most mornings my stomach twists up and I feel like I'll throw up, but by lunch it's gone. The doctor checked everything and said I'm healthy, which somehow made it worse, like I'm making it up. Then my mom asked if something about school was scaring me, and I started crying.

Last updated: July 2026

Talk to a clinician

Gale can help you find a clinician in your state and request a visit.

Find care →

What this can feel like

It starts the second my alarm goes off. My stomach twists up and my hands go cold and sometimes I feel like I might throw up, but by lunch it's mostly gone. I'm 13, and this has been happening most mornings since school started again. I told my mom I felt sick so many times that she stopped believing me, and honestly I get why, because when she'd let me stay home I felt fine by ten. She took me to the doctor and they checked everything and said I'm healthy, which just made me feel worse, like I was making it up. But it's not fake. My body really does this. The other day my mom sat on my bed and instead of asking if I was sick she asked if something was scaring me about school. I didn't have an answer, nothing bad is even happening, no one's being mean. I just said maybe, and started crying, which surprised both of us. She said we could figure it out together and maybe talk to someone who knows about this stuff. I don't know what that means yet, but it felt less lonely than pretending I have a stomach bug every single day.

What's a first step I can take?

'It's okay if you can't name what's stressing you, we can look for clues together' 'When during the week does your stomach feel best?'

Common questions

Real physical feelings like nausea, stomach pain, or a racing heart can come from stress or worry, not just illness. The body often reacts before we have words for a feeling, and that's especially common before school.

One clue is timing: if it mostly hits on school mornings and eases on weekends or once you're settled, worry is a likely part of it. You don't have to figure it out alone, an adult can help you look at the pattern.

You can keep it simple: 'My stomach feels sick almost every school morning and I don't know why.' That one sentence is enough for a caring adult to start helping.

Related

Say it back

How would you explain this to someone you love?

Two or three sentences, just as you’d say it. Gale reflects back what you focused on — a mirror, not a quiz.

If things feel heavy, a person is available anytime — call or text 988.

Talk to a clinician

Gale can help you find a clinician in your state and request a visit.

Find care →

When to reach out for more help

  • —Missing school often because of how you feel
  • —Stomach pain or nausea that also happens on weekends and at night
  • —Not eating, or losing weight, because your stomach hurts
  • —Any thoughts that you don't want to be here

If you ever feel like you might hurt yourself or don't want to be here, reach out now. Call or text 988 - the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and 24/7. If this is a medical emergency, call 911.

This is general information, not medical advice or a diagnosis. A doctor, nurse, or counselor can help figure out what's going on for you.

References

  1. 1. (2010). Lifetime Prevalence of Mental Disorders in U.S. Adolescents (NCS-A). J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. PMID 21156268Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions in U.S. adolescents.

1 sources, numbered by first appearance. General health information, not medical advice. AI-assisted editorial content — citations link their sources. Editorial policy

← Back to the health library