Anxiety Disorders

Everyone feels anxious in certain situations, but anxiety disorders can make it difficult to function.

Anxiety is a feeling of worry that can be a completely normal response to stress. However, it can also be out of proportion to what’s going on or be impossible to control. Anxiety can feel so overwhelming that a person’s ability to work, study, interact with people, or follow a daily routine is affected. Generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias are all types of anxiety disorders.

Fortunately, it is possible to manage anxiety with counseling and/or medication. If you think that you or someone you know may have an anxiety disorder, contact your school’s health or counseling service, especially if thoughts of suicide are present.

Fact or Fiction?

Anxiety disorders are not “all in your head.”

FACT: Anxiety can be a real medical condition, developing from a complex set of biological and environmental factors, including genetics, biochemistry and traumatic life events.

College students don’t have anything to be anxious about.

FICTION: Yes, college is fun and rewarding. It can also be incredibly stressful. You’re dealing with constant evaluation from professors, parental expectations, financial pressure, lack of privacy, serious relationships, the need to make career decisions and more. While these feelings can be a normal part of the college experience, they may also be something you need help to overcome.

Students who experience anxiety can still handle the rigors of college life.

FACT: Colleges are designed to be challenging academically, personally, and socially. Some anxiety is a natural by-product of the accelerated pace of learning and growth.

Avoiding certain situations can prevent panic attacks.

FICTON: This may be true in the short-term, but panic attacks can worsen over time without proper treatment.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a normal coping reaction to a traumatic event.

FICTION: Brain imaging studies show that a part of the brain critical to memory and emotion appears to be different in people with PTSD. These changes are thought to be responsible for intrusive memories and flashbacks that occur in people with this disorder.

People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are not just detail-oriented.

FACT: OCD can be an extremely disabling illness that interferes with work, school and social obligations. A person with OCD knows that their thoughts and behaviors don’t make sense but is unable to control them.

Feeling anxious about social situations is simply a reflection of ordinary shyness. It is nothing to worry about.

FICTION: Social phobia is a medical disorder that can be associated with significant distress and even occupational and social dysfunction.

Understanding Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the US.
Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders, eating disorders, or substance abuse.
Approximately 5-10% of the US population has one or more phobias.
People with phobias, particularly social phobia, may also have problems with substance abuse, and many people with social phobia become so anxious that they experience panic attacks as well.
Approximately 6 to 9 million Americans have obsessive-compulsive disorder; that’s between 2% and 3% of the population.
Panic disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood, but not everyone who experiences panic attacks will develop panic disorder. Many people have just one attack and never have another.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder flashbacks may be so strong that individuals feel like they are actually re-living the traumatic event.

What to Watch For

Intense episodes of fear or panic
Recurring nightmares
Avoidance of social situations
Difficulty concentrating
Repeated, unwanted thoughts (obsessions)
Sleep disturbances
Upsetting, intrusive memories of a traumatic event
Physical symptoms such as nausea, stomach pain, rapid heart rate, muscle tension, sweating, shaking, dizziness, numbness, or difficulty breathing