Be Informed at College

What? Me Worry?

You can start to get to know yourself by keeping track of the way you worry. Dr. Ned Hallowell talks about anxiety and stress in a very readable and useful book called Worry. He notes that we all worry about things to one degree or another, and the key is to focus on "productive" versus "toxic" worry.²

Let's say you're worried about an upcoming exam. If you handle that worry by scheduling time to study, reviewing your notes, and preparing for the exam, you are practicing productive worry. But if you spend the time before the exam obsessing about how hopeless your life will be when you fail the exam, you are stuck in a state of toxic worry.

You can use productive more often than toxic worry if you follow these steps when you have a problem:

1. Be aware of the circumstance that is causing you to worry.
2. Recognize the patterns you fall into when you're worried (obsess? eat more? sleep less? give up?).
3. Challenge the negative patterns, and actively do something to take you a step closer to resolving the problem.
4. Reach out. Support from friends and teachers can get you through bad situations.

The key is to be aware of how you are feeling and what you're doing to cope. Face your fears; it's the only way to defeat them. Denial is the enemy of growth.

Know the Symptoms

Everybody feels unhappy and down sometimes. It's part of life. But a willingness to accept these feelings as "normal" even when they persist for weeks at a time may keep you from recognizing the symptoms of excessive stress, anxiety, or depression.

Over and over again, I see students who have trouble concentrating, aren't sleeping well, are losing motivation and confidence, and withdrawing socially, who say they just need to focus and apply themselves more. They don't see the danger signs or choose to ignore them, fearing that depression or an anxiety disorder is a personal weakness or character flaw. Rather than face the issues and seek help, they end up in denial, trying to convince themselves how they ought to feel rather than accepting what they actually feel. They become victimized by depression, sleep disorders, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, various self-destructive "coping styles" such as chronic procrastination, preoccupation or obsession around relationships or sexuality, cutting or other self-mutilating behaviors, and in the most extreme cases overt suicide attempts.

Don't let this happen to you. Know the signs of mental health problems and be willing to seek help when you need it. These are the primary symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression to watch out for:

• Sleep changes (early morning wakening, waking through the night, or trouble getting out of bed in the morning can all be early warning signs of depression)
• Increase or decrease in appetite
• Loss of motivation
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of concentration
• Feelings of hopelessness or loss of self-esteem
• Loss of interest in activities that are usually pleasurable
• Intense worry without foundation for concern
• Small problems that feel overwhelming
• Physical symptoms of anxiety: rapid heart rate, upset stomach, feelings of panic, headaches, sweaty palms

Any of these symptoms by themselves may be passing signs of stress, but if they cluster and become more persistent, they should be cause for concern.

Be Proactive

To keep yourself out of the dark, be proactive about getting information on mental health:

• When your school offers workshops or seminars on topics such as substance abuse, sexual assault, depression, and eating disorders, go to them, not necessarily because you are directly affected right now, but because it's smart to have this information just in case.
• Read the mental health materials that are handed out all over campus. Contrary to popular belief, these flyers are not really wastebasket liners. They have been put together to inform, encourage, and support all students so you can have the best possible college experience, both academically and socially.
• Know where the counseling services are offered on your campus. Get familiar with the building and the setup. Take a look around and gather some of the printed material offered. If you should need the help of a counselor in the future, you will feel more comfortable asking for it if you have previously been in the center.

If you don't feel comfortable attending workshops or visiting the counseling center, you can also get lots of information on-line at sites created specifically for college students who like the anonymity of the computer. There are many top-quality sites listed in Appendix B you should check out. Here are an additional few that are for students only:

• Ulifeline.com, www.ulifeline.com. The Jed Foundation is the nation's first nonprofit group dedicated solely to reducing suicide on college campuses. Founded by Phillip and Donna Satow, whose son Jed killed himself when he was a sophomore at the University of Arizona, the group seeks to expand the mental health safety net by offering on-line services for students. They have created this free, anonymous Web site customized to link students to their college counseling centers and a library of mental health information.
• Campusblues.com, www.campusblues.com. This site is sponsored by a for-profit company. It is designed specifically to provide on-line education and to help students find appropriate mental health services on or near their campuses.
• Outsidetheclassroom.com, www.outsidetheclassroom.com. This subscription site offers prevention-based health education with particular focus on high-risk drinking on college campuses.
• National Mental Health Association, www.nmha.org. This site offers information specifically for college students, with fact sheets on adjustment to life's changes, anxiety disorders and depression, eating disorders and depression, alcohol and drug abuse and de­ pression, and suicide and depression.
• MyStudentBody, www.mystudentbody.com. This site offers personalized and confidential health information through inter­ active tools, flash animation peer stories, and informational pieces.
• Active Minds on Campus, www.activemindsoncampus.org. This site is a student-run mental health awareness, education, and ad­ vocacy organization designed for the college campus. The group aims to remove the stigma that surrounds mental illness and create a comfortable environment for open discussion of mental health issues.
• Facts on Tap, www.factsontap.org. This site has interesting links to subjects such as drugs, alcohol and your body, alcohol and sex, commuter students, children of alcoholics, and dealing with a friend's drinking.

Quick Tip: Do Something About It

Feeling distracted? Unable to focus? Studying hard but getting nowhere? Don't wait for these problems to fix themselves. Your school has tutoring and counseling services that are there to help you if you ask. I think that most students are aware of less than half of the resources they could be using in all areas, including academic, social, and physical and mental health ­ services.

Check with the dean of your college, go on-line to your college site, or ask your resident adviser. Do something to help yourself!