First, it starts with getting little to no sleep. Then, you start skipping meals because you’re too nervous to eat. Then, you skip classes because it’s too overwhelming to go. Eventually, semester grades come out, and you become disappointed in yourself, which makes it worse. It evolves to the point where you barely leave the house or speak to your roommates.
This is an example of what can happen if anxiety goes without help.
Anxiety can be a scary subject to bring up; you may feel like you should feel fine, but for some reason you feel like you can’t hold yourself together. You may feel like other people will judge you and tell you to just “suck it up.” But you aren’t alone.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million adults in the United States have an anxiety disorder and 75 percent of those adults experienced anxiety before they turned 22.
For such a prevalent mental issue in our society, people feel it’s taboo to talk about. That needs to change, especially on college campuses. In a study done by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH), of the 100,000 students at 140 colleges and universities that participated, the number one reason college students saw a counselor was for concerns about anxiety.
So, let’s talk about it.
First of all, what exactly is anxiety?
According to the Mayo Clinic, “People with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks).” They go on to say, “these feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities, are difficult to control, are out of proportion to the actual danger and can last a long time. You may avoid places or situations to prevent these feelings.”
While some anxiety over a midterm or essay is normal, when it starts to stop you from being able to perform your daily tasks, it is time to seek help. Examples of signs include skipping class frequently because of extreme nervousness, feeling so overwhelmed by assignments that you don’t complete any of them, getting nervous to the point you feel physically sick and frequently feeling a lack of control over your emotions, stress level or current situation to the point where you have a panic attack.
How do I get help?
The first step always seems like the hardest, but remember, you are not alone in this. There are many resources you can use to help ease your anxiety. On campus, there is Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). CAPS provides 10 individual counseling sessions per student per academic year, free of charge. These are professional counselors that can help identify the issue, as well as help to ease it. You can take an online screening here to get a general understanding of what disorder you may be facing. If you are having a severe panic attack and CAPS is not available, the Crisis Call Center has a 24-hour hotline at 775-784-8090, or you can text “ANSWER” to 839863 to receive counseling immediately.
When it comes to your mental health, don’t be afraid to seek help. Even if you feel only a little overwhelmed or anxious, a session with a counselor can only help. Don’t be afraid to talk about what’s bothering you. You are important and worth taking care of.
See more information about CAPS on their website, http://www.sonoma.edu/counselingctr/.