Stress and anxiety are as much a part of college life as term papers and all-night cram sessions. But for some students, anxiety can become a force that orchestrates all aspects of academic, social and professional life.
According to Larissa K. Ruuskanen, an associate counselor at the student wellness center, some daily stress is necessary and can actually be beneficial. It can motivate students to get things accomplished and keep them on their toes. However, when the act of worrying begins to overwhelm thought processes, a red flag should go up.
"When the anxiety becomes excessive to the situation, distressing to us to the point that it hinders our day-to-day functioning in academic, work, or social areas, it may indicate that a person is suffering from an anxiety related disorder," said Ruuskanen.
Dr. Gayle Beck, professor and associate chair of psychology, points to another distinction between healthy worry and pathological anxiety.
"Stress is typically time limited," she said. "For example, (normal) anxiety and stress drop when the big exam is over. Anxiety disorders usually wax and wane but rarely go away."
Anxiety disorders come in varying forms and degrees. Some typical anxiety disorders are Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Social Anxiety Disorder, which are the most common among college students, according to Dr. Beck.
According to Ruuskanen, an individual with GAD will continually worry about such things as health and finances, or just have a general sense that something bad will happen. This chronic worry, which affects about 4 million people, interferes with daily functioning and can also be accompanied by symptoms of restlessness, fatigue, or irritability.
This anxiety disorder usually begins one of two ways, according to Dr. Beck. For some, the disorder surfaces in response to a big life stressor, such as divorce. In others, the disorder manifests very early in life without any obvious trigger.
Social Anxiety Disorder affects about 5.3 million Americans. According to Beck, it is a marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur. This extreme fear of embarrassment causes sufferers to avoid such seemingly mundane tasks as speaking in public, meeting new people, and starting conversations.
Sufferers of these anxiety disorders are especially vulnerable to panic attacks. Panic attacks, which affect over four million people in the U.S., are described as a sudden and intense fear or dread caused by exposure to feared stimuli, Beck said.
Lasting an average of 10 minutes, these attacks can be accompanied by hot or cold sensations, sweating, trembling, and a fear of dying or of losing control.
Anxiety disorders can happen to anyone, and can be very difficult to cope with. Just ask Karen Ossman, a resident of Williamsville, who was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder about two years ago.
"I have always just been a 'worry wart,'" she said.
As a child, Ossman said she would pore over her mother's medical textbooks, and worry about the various diseases she could someday be afflicted with.
"Every day my mom would have to be like, 'You don't have scarlet fever, Karen, you're going to school,'" she said. As she got older, the situation got worse. At work, she would worry about things at home, and call several times to check in. At home, she could not stop thinking about the responsibilities that awaited her at work the next day.
"I was constantly obsessing about the stupidest things, like shopping errands I had to run, meetings I had to do at work," Ossman said. For Ossman, simple daily tasks such as driving a car or making a phone call can suddenly become very scary or overwhelming. Often, her hands will tremble, and she will have to pull over to the side of the road or take a break from what she is doing to try to compose herself.
According to Ruuskanen, anxiety disorders can be treated several different ways. Group therapy, counseling, online chat centers and medication are a few avenues.
On campus, students can find help at the Student Counseling Center in the Student Union or through the Psychological Services Center in Park Hall.
While Ossman has learned several exercises and breathing techniques to cope with her disorder, she has also taken small doses of anti-anxiety medication in the past. She said the time and training she has received to combat her disorder are well worth the effort.
"I still struggle with it, but it's not like before," Ossman said. "Now it's more of an annoyance than this big dramatic thing."
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
