Dealing With Anxiety
Worried? Fearful? Nervous? Find out if you’re suffering from anxiety and what you can do about it.
By Steven Krager, Medical Student, Creighton University
It was August 2010 and Sharonda was excited to go back to school. She was ambitiously starting a post-baccalaureate program at the University of Houston in Texas to complete pre-med courses. “Being that I had already graduated from college and radiology school in 2005, I figured taking pre-med courses should be easy for me,” Sharonda says.
The courses were not easy. And a month after starting the program, she abruptly started feeling dizzy and short of breath. After a trip to the ER, she was diagnosed with having a panic attack. “I didn’t realize I was placing so much stress on myself both physically and emotionally until after the attack,” Sharonda says.
A panic attack is a form of anxiety—a fear that overcomes all emotions accompanied by worry and apprehension.
What Is an Anxiety Disorder?
Almost all of us experience everyday anxiety, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. Everyday anxiety includes worry about bills, nervousness before a big test, or difficulties after a traumatic event. Anxiety becomes a serious problem when there is excessive worry about a number of events or activities, and it is difficult to control this worry. When this uncontrollable worry goes on for at least six months, it is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Common symptoms of anxiety include excessive restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, irritability, and muscle tension.
Another type of anxiety disorder is panic disorder. Panic disorder occurs when you have repeated attacks of intense fear or discomfort. Along with the fear, one may experience chest pain, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, shaking, a sense of of impending doom, or other symptoms.
Anxiety Vs. Stress
Anxiety and stress are often confused because they are often related but two different things. Stress comes from the pressures in life, such as having too much work. Stress can lead to anxiety but feelings of anxiety, may not have a direct cause. Anxiety is considered a mental disorder, whereas stress is not, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
In the Spring 2011 American College Health Association–National College Health Assessment of 105,781 college students, one in five said that anxiety had had a negative impact on their academic performance in the past year, and 27.5% said that stress had had a negative impact. Half of all students polled said they had felt overwhelming anxiety in the past 12 months. In a recent Student Health 101 survey, 68% of respondents said they sometimes or often suffer from anxiety. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, 13% of college students have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or depression.
College Triggers
Students face a unique set of life stressors that may trigger such reactions. Classes are more academically challenging, and the pressure to achieve is higher. Coping strategies for dealing with stress that may have worked earlier in life may not be relevant to college life. Some students may worry about working or finding a job. Younger students may be dealing with the transition to a new place. Although stress may be a first trigger for anxiety, changes in eating, hormones, and other issues can cause anxiety, too.
Dr. Terencio McGlasson, an assistant professor of guidance and counseling at the University of Wisconsin–Superior, says that in addition to those stressors, “there is a lot more intrinsic freedom that comes with the college lifestyle that also brings a lot of responsibility."
Dr. McGlasson says some students have a predisposition to certain psychological problems (such as depression and eating disorders), and the stress in college may trigger more profound issues. Lifestyle choices can also play a role including lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and alcohol and drug abuse. Dr. McGlasson mentions other potential triggers including relationship dynamics with roommates, eating disorders, dealing with authority figures in college, and past issues with family dynamics or abuse.
Preventing and Treating Anxiety
The best way to deal with anxiety is to recognize issues with stress early before they start causing serious harm.
“You’ve got to watch your sleep, you’ve got to watch your nutrition and your patterns of behavior—not so much addressing use of substances but abuse of substances,” says Dr. McGlasson. “Know that line between going out and having some beers and fun and getting into a pattern where you are getting drunk 3 or 4 nights a week.”
Beyond lifestyle factors affecting anxiety, Dr. McGlasson mentions two deeper psychological factors that can contribute to anxiety: lack of self-awareness and communication with others. “If you choose between making some temporary bad choices or engaging in a pattern of behavior that is self-destructive, you are going to have some problems,” he says. “Ask yourself some hard questions to take a look at the patterns you’re into.”
Communication with others around you is the other key, Dr. McGlasson says. “People who were coming into my office who were struggling at a profound level more times than not were people who were not communicating with anyone about the struggles that they were having.”
He says that what makes counseling appealing and effective is that you have a chance to share these struggles with another person without any fear of judgment.
Reaching Out for Help
If you think your anxiety issues have gone beyond prevention, go to someone for help. The health and counseling center at your school is a great choice. Many universities offer free counseling with a licensed therapist. Working with a counselor or physician, you can discover what treatment will be right for you.
Counseling, medication, and lifestyle changes, such as exercise and changes in eating, may be some of the treatment options recommended. Meditation and deep breathing exercises may help. A trained counselor may find that a nutritional deficiency, such as insufficient vitamin D or magnesium or excessive sugar, is a factor.
Sharonda found help for her panic attacks by following up with her physician. Exercising regularly, cutting her caffeine intake and learning how to relax also helped.
Dr. McGlasson realizes that some students have misgivings about seeking treatment for mental health issues. He hopes that students who are struggling will understand that it is OK to seek help. He emphasizes that seeking help for anxiety is normal. He says, "It just points to the fact that they are human beings and have a need to communicate what is going on with them.
STEVEN KRAGER IS A MEDICAL STUDENT AT CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA. HE OFFERS GUIDANCE TO PRE-MED STUDENTS ON HIS WEBSITE, MDJOURNEY.COM.
Find Out More
Click for more about dealing with anxiety from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Click for more tips on dealing with anxiety from the Counseling Center at Dartmouth College.
Click for more ideas on managing anxiety from the Counseling Center at Hofstra University.
Click for more ways students are dealing with anxiety from the ADAA.
