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Anxiety and Stress


General Information

Anxiety is a disorder where a person feels more nervous, fearful, tense, or stressed in a situation than most people would. For example, no one is too thrilled about a spider walking on his/her arm, but some people are so afraid of spiders they would avoid all situations where spiders might occur. Everyone feels a little nervous about speaking in front of others, but there are some for whom this is so difficult that they will withdraw from a class or accept a bad grade rather than give a short presentation.

After narrowly avoiding a car crash, it is common to feel shaky and upset. You may also notice a racing heart beat and dry mouth. However, some people may experience these symptoms "out of the blue" or wake up suddenly in the middle of the night with these symptoms. Likewise, most of us dislike being dirty. However, we don't have to wash over and over until it feels "just right." In each of these examples, the anxiety is disproportionate to the situation and likely interferes with daily functioning. Excessive anxiety and stress can make life very uncomfortable. When anxiety causes you to restrict your activities and limits your ability to enjoy life, an anxiety disorder may exist.

Treatment

Treatment for anxiety usually involves therapy and sometimes medication. Different kinds of therapy may be helpful depending on the type of anxiety. Group therapy can be highly effective for some anxiety disorders and may be recommended as a primary treatment option. The first step in accessing CAPS services is to contact us for a telephone screening appointment (see accessing services). If individual or group therapy is indicated and you are appropriate for CAPS' services, an initial consultation (IAC) appointment will be scheduled. During the IAC appointment, your therapist will conduct a careful evaluation of when and how you feel anxious as well as assess your coping skills. Then you and the therapist conducting the IAC appointment will decide on an appropriate course of treatment.

Typical treatments will include:

  • group therapy
  • education regarding the causes and meaning of the physiological and psychological symptoms
  • an explanation of how certain kinds of anxiety can be learned (and therefore can be unlearned)
  • self monitoring
  • self reinforcement skills
  • coping skills
  • self talk
  • stress reduction
  • specific exercises as appropriate to the disorder: e.g. exposure for OCD
  • above all, care from a qualified therapist who really understands

Anxiety Screening

Test Your Moods - Online Self Assessment

Additional Resources

Managing Stress: A Guide for College Students
www.uhs.uga.edu/stress/

National Institute of Mental Health - Anxiety Disorders
www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/anxietymenu.cfm