not just nerves: anxiety on campus

NOT JUST NERVES

College is a time of major change-- it’s a stressful balancing act between school, work, family and friends. We’ve all been nervous about a test or panicked over an upcoming project.

For people dealing with anxiety, however, it might be more than just nerves. Anxiety is a problem many students report, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH), which reports on statistics about students who go to counseling centers nationwide.

How can we help students experiencing anxiety, which can impair their lives?

What is Anxiety?

“The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” (DSM5), from the American Psychiatric Association, characterizes generalized anxiety disorder as “excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation) about a number of events or activities.” In addition, the worry is “out of proportion,” and the individual “finds it difficult to control the worry and to keep worrisome thoughts from interfering with attention to tasks at hand.”

Also, adults with generalized anxiety often worry about everyday matters, while children with generalized anxiety often worry about their competence or quality of performance, according to the DSM5. There are also multiple types of anxiety/

“It can look different for different

ON CAMPUS

people,” said Dr Lauren Patterson, the assistant director of outreach and community engagement and licensed psychologist at the Georgia Southern Counseling Center.

According to Patterson and the CCMH, anxiety is consistently one of the top five reasons students come into counseling centers nationally.

“Probably generalized anxiety and social anxiety are the most typical ones for college students,” said Patterson.

Why might students experience anxiety so commonly?

“There are a lot of different factors that could contribute to if a person experiences anxiety or not,” said Patterson. “Genetics has a part of it. Some of it is having a lot of stressors and being on your own for the first time. Some of it is age-related in that way, kind of the stage of life where you see that might start to happen. More responsibilities than people used to have. Being a little bit more independent than they previously were.”

Patterson also added that anxiety could result from a traumatic experience. Genetics, high-stress situations, a lot of change and other factors, such as substance use, may make students more susceptible to experiencing anxiety.

How can anxiety affect you?

Anxiety can affect your daily life in ways you might not expect, especially when it comes to work or friends. “Having anxiety is really fear-based,” said Dr. Patterson. “So that can really keep you from doing things you want to do.”

Patterson used an example of a situation in which a hypothetical person feels anxiety when riding in cars. That fear would then interfere with your ability to get to where you need to go, which would impair how you go about daily life.

“It can interfere in a lot of simple ways you might not even consider,” said Patterson. “Even basic things like taking care of yourself, like making sure you’re eating, you’re showering and attending to your social needs. So, in that way, anxiety can be similar to depression.”

Depression and anxiety often cooccur.

“It’s a chicken or the egg sometimes,” said Patterson. “Sometimes, being depressed can make you anxious; sometimes being anxious can make you feel depressed.”

Furthermore, students with anxiety may experience negative physical effects. Patterson said there is some research that having long-term anxiety may lead to people becoming more susceptible to chronic illnesses.

What are some ways to cope?

What works for one person may not work for another, especially since anxiety varies among individuals. Counselors generally tailor their sessions toward what will best fit the student specifically.

Designed by Daniel Castro However, generally, it’s important to have good coping skills and to really take care of yourself.

“It might keep you from making challenging decisions, but it doesn’t have to,” said Patterson. “I think that’s one thing we focus on a lot at the counseling center is that just because you have anxiety doesn’t mean it has to hold you back in any way.”

Patterson says some generally recommended coping methods include reaching out to support systems, exercising, getting enough sleep, eating a consistent and healthy diet, taking walks, hanging out with friends and simply doing more of what you enjoy.

According to Patterson, excessive caffeine can worsen anxiety, although you don’t have to throw out coffee all together.

“Everything in moderation,” Patterson said.

Bottom line? Don’t skip meals, pull all-nighters or take substances that will increase symptoms. And reach out to your friends and loved ones.

However, Patterson says that doesn’t include holding yourself back from, for example, crowds if you become anxious in crowds.

“I do a lot of talking through things from an acceptance-commitment therapy perspective when it comes to anxiety,” Patterson said. “About really understanding how the anxiety doesn’t have to hold you back, that you can feel anxious and still fully live your life.”

Acceptance-commitment therapy involves the following principles: a values-driven life, committed action, mindfulness, emotional awareness and acceptance.

“It’s okay to feel different emotions, even what we would consider ‘bad’ ones,” said Patterson.

How should others interact with an anxious individual? Patterson suggested the following for how to help someone experiencing anxiety. Ask how to be helpful. Take your cue for what they need in that moment. Some need space, while others may need a listening ear. Don’t assume what the person might need. Patterson also said that trying to “rescue” someone dealing with anxiety is not the best approach.

“That is our natural tendency when someone shares something that’s a little bit more difficult for us to jump in and say something like, ‘it’s going to be okay, don’t worry about it,’ or give advice, when oftentimes that’s not what is most helpful to a person,” said Patterson. “Most of the time, they just need someone to listen.”

In addition, it can invalidate their feelings, which can make the person in question feel worse without our intending to cause harm.

Patterson also suggested not giving advice unless you’re certain the person wants that advice.

By Aubrey Brumblow

I might have anxiety. What do I do? Full-time and part-time students get 16 free sessions at the Counseling Center at GS. It’s located in building 435 on Forest Drive at the Statesboro campus and opens at 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week. You can reach the center at (912) 478-5541.