Anxiety and College

     Trials, Tribulations and College

          By UMES Senior Brittany Williams

 

Anxiety and College

During the fall semester of my sophomore year in 2010 I discovered personally how serious anxiety is. I was at work as a cashier at Home Depot when suddenly my heart beat started to accelerate and my breathing began to get cut short, I felt as though I was going to faint. Within 20 minutes everything was over.  In the car on the way to the hospital I could not understand what had just happened. Lying in the emergency room bed I felt fine, as though nothing even happened.

Once I finally saw the doctor he told me everything was fine and that he wasn’t sure what happened. Later that night once I got home the same thing happened again this time it was longer! I began to sweat and get dizzy and feel faint. At times I felt as though I was going to stop breathing!

These attacks began to happen frequently and at random. I never knew when one of these attacks would happen. I could be driving, walking to class, at work, anywhere and they would happen. It came to a point when I knew I was getting ready to have an attack.  Each time I experienced on they were different and lasted between 15 to 20 minutes.

When I finally spoke with my primary doctor he told me I was experiencing what was called Anxiety, which was related to the amount of stress I was having. After talking with my parents and thinking I realized that my stress was triggered from the worries associated with school and my personal life. The worry about what was going on at home. How would I be able to help, am I going to get the classes I need for next semester, am I going to pass my class, how am I going to get through midterms and finals because for some reason my professors decided to have the tests on the same day? Many things I held no control over.

Today I still suffer from random anxiety attacks, although I don’t have them as frequently as before. The key to handling them is different for everyone. Me personally, when I begin to feel an anxiety attack come I take myself from wherever I am and just walk, if I’m by myself. If I’m with friends or family I ask them to talk to me and keep talking to take my mind off of the attack.

I haven’t quite yet mastered overcoming my anxiety, I still struggle with balancing my stress, knowing what I can change and those that I can’t. There is one thing I have realized, and that is things take time. For someone else who is suffering from anxiety attacks I recommend that they find whatever activity relaxes them. Whether its basketball, music, going to the gym do them find whatever you view as a stress reliever and become active.

Let’s face it, college equals stress, there is no changing that. But you can change how that stress affects you. As soon as you realize that you are finding yourself overwhelmed by whatever, the most important thing is to take control over it before it begins to take control over you.

Here at UMES we have counselors who are here to listen to you if you need them. Your advisors are here to help you with whatever questions you may have.  Even discussing things with your friends and family gives you that outlet to express things and let out all your frustrations. I never realized how serious stress could truly affect your body until now!

                                            -Brittany M. Williams

UMES Family!

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