Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety is a natural and unavoidable reaction to stress in our lives.  With the many demands that students are managing, anxiety can be unavoidable.  Some anxiety can be motivating, in the sense that it can help us to focus our attention and block out distractions; this can be helpful when studying and completing academic work. This type of helpful, adaptive anxiety is typically brief and has only moderate intensity.

Anxiety that becomes constant, occurs over a longer period of time, is not associated with a particular stressful event or situation, and/or has significant intensity can be problematic.  Sometimes this anxiety can begin to have negative physical effects, including illness, headaches, or fatigue.  There are several types of anxiety disorders, all of which can be helped with appropriate assistance and treatment. 

Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety:

  • Feelings of nervousness
  • Continual worry
  • Muscle tension
  • Headaches
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Irritability
  • Upset stomach or nausea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Feeling panicky, panic attacks
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Feeling especially anxious in social situations
  • Sweating, trembling, rapid heart rate

Therapy can be a way to successfully address these concerns, and to provide skills to more effectively manage and cope with stress.