Anxiety

Anxiety is a common feeling usually involving worry about the future. It can range from a vague feeling of uneasiness and discomfort to intense feeling or terror and impending doom. Anxiety produces an increase in various physiological and mental processes. That increase can motivate us to more thoroughly prepare for performance situations like examinations and athletic competition, but it can also become so intense that it interferes with our ability to function normally in every day activities. Such is the case when we become overly anxious during an examination and cannot recall a concept we thoroughly studied the previous evening. Constant anxiety may signal an anxiety disorder.

Common Questions About Anxiety

What are some symptoms of anxiety? verall uneasiness and discomfort, worry, tension, inability to relax, sleep disturbance, fre!uent urination, shallow breathing, edginess, trouble concentrating, and apprehension are typical symptoms of anxiety. What determines when anxiety changes into an anxiety disorder? Anxiety which persists over an extended period of time with fre!uent periods of high intensity is indicative of an anxiety disorder. In such a condition, anxiety is present most of the time without any apparent reason, or the anxiety is so uncomfortable that you stop some of your everyday activities, or you experience fre!uent bouts of anxiety which are so intense they terrify and immobili"e you. What are some common anxiety disorders? #enerali"ed Anxiety $isorder % excessive anxiety and worry for at least & months with accompanying symptoms of restlessness, feeling keyed up, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance. 'anic $isorder % intense fear or terror that strikes suddenly and repeatedly with no warning, accompanied by symptoms such as a pounding heart, chest pains, di""iness, nausea, shortness of breath, shaking, tingling, sweating, fear of going cra"y and fear of dying. 'hobias % a marked and persistent fear of specific ob(ects or situations, or a fear of social or performance situations where we might suffer embarrassment or humiliation. bsessive%Compulsive $isorder % persistent unwelcome thoughts or rituals we seem driven to perform which markedly interfere with our normal daily routine. 'osttraumatic Stress $isorder % an emotionally debilitating condition that follows a terrifying event where we repeatedly relive the trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the day. How is anxiety different from fear? )ear usually involves uneasiness and apprehension directed toward some concrete, external ob(ect or situation. Also, fear is associated with events or situations that could

happen. Anxiety, on the other hand, is more of a sub(ective state of uneasiness and apprehension in response to a vague and sometimes unrecogni"ed danger. *ith anxiety, we cannot always specify what it is we are anxious about. ften, anxiety tends to be out of proportion and unrealistic. Is there any value in worrying? *e sometimes feel worrying about something helps us better prepare for dealing with it. *hat usually happens however, is that worrying increases our anxiety which in turn can interfere with daily functions like thinking clearly and making decisions. 'lanning, doing what we can and then placing thing in the hands of the +ord is a better way to prepare and deal with difficult or scary situations. When should professional help be sought to help anxiety? ,veryone experiences anxiety at different times during the day or week. -ost of the time those feelings appear and leave rather !uickly. If our anxious feelings don.t leave after an extended time, and their intensity interferes with our daily activities, it may be beneficial to seek professional help. At what times during the school year are we, as students, most li ely to experience anxiety? The beginning of the semester is usually a time of high anxiety as we wonder about our teachers, the amount of work for our classes, and meeting the financial strain of housing and food. The second time anxiety is likely to appear is (ust before mid%term and final examinations, particularly if we are on the borderline of good academic standing. Are there any !uic , easy ways to reduce anxiety? ne reliable method is to move our body and change our mind. ,ngaging in body movement which involves use of the large muscles is particularly effective. Changing our mind can involve reading, viewing or discussing something of interest and different from everyday topics. A number of other suggestions are given at the end of this article. Are there times we would want to increase our anxiety? Anxiety can occasionally motivate us to take action on something we have been neglecting, postponing, or have little interest in. )or example, increased anxiety about a good grade in a class could motivate us to better prepare for an examination, or increased anxiety about the cost of tuition could motivate us to find a part%time (ob. What resources are available on campus to help with anxiety? The Counseling and $evelopment Center provides individual counseling, group counseling, workshops, and the Stress -anagement +ab to students experiencing problems with anxiety. These resources are available to full%time students and are located in /0&1 *SC 2'hone 314%5//%61607. 8top9

"o Alleviate Anxiety

4. :iew anxiety as a normal reaction to stressful events and give yourself permission to feel anxious during difficult times. /. ;eali"e that most decisions are neither <right< nor <wrong<, but (ust lead to different experiences which have advantages and disadvantages. 6. Think in terms of hoping for rather than expecting events to happen in a certain way. 5. 'lan for the future and do something about it instead of worrying about it. 0. 'lan for less than you can do in a particular day and make anything extra a bonus. &. +ook for en(oyment in the <doing< of something rather than focusing so much on the end result. =. Speak, eat, drive and move at a more relaxed pace. 3. 'repare for morning the night before. >. Arrive at your class, work, or appointment 41 minutes early. 41. #o for a brisk walk or engage in some other physical activity involving large muscle movement when feeling anxious. 44. ?se abdominal breathing to calm anxious feelings. 4/. 'ray for patience in dealing with anxious situations. 46. 'ractice in your mind performing successfully before you enter a particular performance situation. 45. :iew mistakes as opportunities for learning rather than personal failures. 40. Cheer for rather than compete with others. 4&. #et involved with other people in worthwhile endeavors. 4=. Smile since smiling reduces anxiety. 43. ?se good thought control by giving yourself such statements as@ 4. /. 6. 5. 0. &. )ive years from now, who will care. I can do what I can do and that is all. *hat other ways can I view this situationA I.m not going to waste my energy worrying about it. #etting upset will not help me deal with the situation. Things are usually not as bad as I anticipate them to be.

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btain professional help, and possible medication, if your anxiety persists and does not seem related to any changing circumstances or stressful situations in your life. /1. ;ecogni"e that this list can make you more anxious if you try to implement all suggestions at once. 'ick those items which are more relevant to you and only focus on one or two at a time.