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Anxiety and Stress


General Information: Stress

Stress is part of life and can even be helpful for getting things done. Consider the analogy of a rubber band: some stress is necessary for it to do its job, but too much stress will cause it to snap under the pressure. Stress can come from good experiences as well as bad. All of us can easily name sources of bad stress: exams, relationship problems, financial troubles. But even good things can be stressful at times: getting married, moving to a new town, starting college, being elected to a leadership position, adding more activities to your plate (even if they are fun).

The problem is that many of us carry so much stress that it affects our ability to function in a healthy way. Did you know that prolonged, excessive stress may be a key element in half of all physical illnesses? It affects immune and nervous systems, heart function, metabolism, hormone levels and contributes to rapid aging. So it's important to understand stress and learn how to keep it in moderation and working for us, not against us.

Common Causes of Stress:

  • Academic pressures
  • Balancing school and social demands
  • Taking on too many projects
  • Money problems
  • Relationship problems
  • Family problems
  • Personal loss
  • Moving
  • Lifestyle changes
  • Illness/Injury
  • Impossible expectations for self and others
  • Workplace stress
  • Traffic

Common Signs You May Be Under Too Much Stress:

  • Feeling easily agitated, irritable or angered, defensive, overly argumentative, inflexibility
  • Trembling, nervous tics, restlessness
  • Exhaustion even after sleeping, insomnia
  • Always feeling preoccupied, racing thoughts
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Avoiding problems, people and/or situations
  • Impulsive or compulsive spending, gambling, sexual activity, or substance abuse
  • Poor self hygiene
  • Dryness of the mouth and throat
  • Sweating, diarrhea, migraines
  • Missed menstrual cycles
  • Body pain (neck tension, backaches most common)
  • Stomach/intestinal pain
  • Appetite changes
  • Eating habit changes
  • Hair falling out
  • Picking at skin
  • Nightmares

What You Can Do To Reduce Stress:

  • Become more self-aware of your body, mind, and spirit: monitor yourself daily to know when you are feeling stressed
  • Identify the major stressors in your life and write them down - get them out of your head and take a look at them
  • Break stressful tasks into smaller components by prioritizing: make lists and begin task one. Don't wait for motivation, it will come later
  • If you procrastinate, try to determine what you are avoiding. Avoidance usually increases stress rather than reducing it
  • Don't work where you like to relax
  • Keep perspective - try to see the bigger picture
  • Talk about your stress with others,developand utilizea support system of people close to you
  • Realize that you are not a machine with an unlimited supply of energy: you can't do it all
  • Develop healthy boundaries in your relationships. Allow yourself to act in your own best interest: learn to say "no" to additional responsibilities that infringe upon your time, and limit contact with negative people
  • Focus on what you can control and let the rest be
  • Relax your standards: the world will not end and your academic career will not be over if something does notget done today or does not get done "perfectly." Perfectionism mistakenly associates performance with self-worth. Be kind to yourself
  • Exercise at least 20 minutes per day,three days a week
  • Eat well
  • Slow down and take deep breaths for a few minutes, gather yourself, and try again
  • Sleep the optimal amount for you. Try to go to bed, and wake up, at the same time every day. If you need an alarm to wake up, you're probably not getting a full nights rest
  • Play everyday and laugh as much as you can (e.g., watch funny movies, read funny books, act silly, hang out with people you can laugh with)
  • Get away for awhile: changing surroundings can allow you to see things from a different perspective. Even one day of vacation can rejuvenate
  • Fix things that are broken that cause additional stress (e.g., alarm clock, windshield wipers, shoelaces)
  • Simplify and organize
  • Consider limiting your viewing of media (e.g., nightly news, CSI) that cause distress
  • Limit or eliminate the use of substances (alcohol, caffeine, illegal drugs, tobacco/nicotine)
  • Speak with a therapist about stress reduction techniques

Sometimes our stress levels are so pronounced that an anxiety disorder is diagnosed. Most people need to speak with a professional about treatment when this happens.

General Information: Anxiety Disorders

An anxiety disorder is a pervasive, intense level of worry that significantly affects a person's day-to-day functioning. People who experience this level of anxiety may feel considerably more stressed in a particular situation than do others, or may worry about everything so much that they can't feel secure. For example, no one is too thrilled about a spider walking on his/her arm, but some people are so afraid of spiders that they would go to great effort to avoid all situations in which they might see a spider. And most people feel a little nervous about speaking in front of others, but there are some for whom speaking in front of others is so difficult that they will withdraw from a class or accept a bad grade rather than give a short presentation. Some people may suddenly feel panicked, shaky and upset, have difficulty catching their breath, or feel as though they are about to die "out of the blue," and with no clear reason for this sudden onset of terrifying symptoms that they can understand. And most of us dislike germs or feeling "dirty," but, some 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 for Anxiety Disorders

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 Scheduling An Appointment). If individual or group therapy is indicated and you are appropriate for CAPS' services, an initial consultation appointment will be scheduled. During the initial consultation 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 will decide on an appropriate course of treatment. You can also try some of the relaxation exercises on this website.

Typical Treatment Will Include:

  • group therapy
  • education regarding the causes and meaning of the physiological and psychological symptoms you are experiencing
  • an explanation of how certain kinds of anxiety can be learned (and therefore can be unlearned)
  • self monitoring
  • self reinforcement skills
  • coping skills
  • learning how positive self talk can reduce anxiety
  • stress reduction
  • specific exercises as appropriate to the disorder
  • above all, care from a qualified therapist who really understands